An explosion at a scrap-metal yard in South Florida left a man with such serious injuries that his arm and part of his leg had to be amputated Monday.
News outlets reported that the man was unloading a large medical oxygen tank from a truck in Lauderhill when it exploded. He was airlifted to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale and was listed in serious condition, said an assistant fire chief at Lauderhill Fire Rescue.
“On our arrival, one of the Lauderhill shift supervisors arrived and was able to apply two tourniquets to the individual that was injured,” Assistant Chief Jeffrey Levy told WSVN-Ch. 7. “He had severe injuries, complete amputation of his arm and partial amputation of his leg. The quick life-saving measures of that EMS supervisor was able to probably stop the bleeding.”
A friend of the victim told a TV station that the oxygen tank was knocked over, then it exploded. Marlo Clarke said his friend kept saying, “‘I’m about to die.’ That’s all he kept saying. ‘I’m about to die,'” according to Local10.com. It was not clear if the men were workers at the scrap yard or customers who delivered the tank.
Northwest 17th Court and Northwest 31st Avenue were closed to allow a rescue helicopter to land at the site, but they have since reopened, officials said.
Calls to a scrap metal recycling facility at the address of the explosion were not answered Monday afternoon, the Sun Sentinel newspaper reported.
Topics Florida
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