By Jodie Symonds
AN Upper Ferntree Gully man thought to have life-threatening injuries is now in a serious but stable condition after an explosion in his garden shed at 4.30pm Tuesday 1 November.
Upper Ferntree Gully CFA captain Peter Smith said the man, in his forties, was believed to have been working on a scuba diving oxygen bottle when the top of the cylinder came off, causing the explosion.
Ambulance Victoria said the man had burns to his head, back, hands and legs. He also had a leg fracture as a result of the explosion.
Neighbours provided first aid by cooling the man’s burns before paramedics arrived.
Due to the potential for burns to the airway which could swell and restrict breathing, paramedics put the man into an induced coma and inserted a tube into his airway to take over his breathing.
The man was taken by air ambulance to The Alfred hospital in a critical condition.
He was initially thought to have life-threatening injuries, but Belgrave Police said the man was now in a serious but stable condition.
Mr Smith said ambulance, police, WorkSafe and CFA crews attended the scene.
“Nobody can really understand what happened,” Mr Smith said.
