Barbeque explosion injures Winnipeg man on Hawaiian vacation | Globalnews.ca

A Winnipeg man vacationing in Hawaii has an uncertain future after a suspected gas explosion in the grill area of a Hawaii beachside resort left him with broken bones and significant burns.

Darren Stevenson was barbecuing at a resort in Maui on Thursday when the explosion happened, his friend Randy Van de Mosselaer — who was with Stevenson until a day before the incident — told Global Winnipeg.

Van de Mosselaer said there’s still a lot of unknowns about his friend’s condition, but said it looks like he’s going to survive his injuries.

“He’s got complex fractures to his upper body, his head, his lower body, and about 15 per cent of his body is suffering from burns,” he said.

According to hotel management and police on Maui, the explosion injured seven people, three critically, including Stevenson.

Van de Mosselaer said his friend was airlifted from Maui to Oahu, and he’s been in care there since.

“He’s going through several surgeries, and the big right thing now is that it looks like he’s going to survive the situation.”

Police said the official cause is under investigation, and witnesses had indicated “a possible grill malfunction” before the explosion.

The resort, The Whaler, has offered accommodations to Stevenson’s wife for up to a week, but the medical procedures and rehab he’ll have to go through are more likely to take months — or longer.

Friends and family have put together a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of medical treatment and living expenses for an extended say in Hawaii.

“It’s absolutely horrible, they say life can change on a dime and that’s exactly what happened,” Van de Mosselaer said.

“I don’t think Darren’s life will ever be the same, but with our hopes and prayers and support, we hope it can get back to as normal as possible.

Van de Mosselaer described his friend as a selfless person with a big heart, and a die-hard fan of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“He’s probably the number one Bomber fan in the city — his family just lives for the Bombers,” he said.

“He always puts everyone else ahead of himself. He’s giving, he’s involved in the community, and he’s got a big, big heart.”

–with files from The Associated Press

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