Fisherman recovers from fuel explosion

DESTROYED: The boat was gutted in a fire, which led to serious burns for a Reporoa fisherman. PHOTO/FILE

A Reporoa man has told of how a fishing trip was over in a flash after a sudden fuel explosion.

Adrian Gidlow's story has been published on the Philips Search and Rescue Trust website to highlight how the helicopter service can aid recovery.

On January 30 Mr Gidlow and his two friends were on their way to Mayor Island for a weekend fishing trip, boat in tow, when they stopped at the Paengaroa Gull service station to fuel the boat.

"There was some fuel on the floor of the boat," he said in his patient story.

"I was in there cleaning it up and something ignited the fuel. Suddenly, whoosh, up it went."

The boat was quickly towed over to the rest area, a safe distance away, and staff helped pull him out of the boat and doused him with a hose.

Cool water was kept running over his burns until the ambulance arrived, which was followed shortly after by the Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter. The helicopter transported Mr Gidlow to Waikato Hospital where he stayed for 24 days. He ended up with first-degree burns to his arms, hands and stomach, with more serious burns from his knees down to his feet, which required skin grafts to his leg.

"Let's just say my sock modelling days are over," he told Philips Search and Rescue Trust.

"But other than that it will have no long-lasting effects and I now just make periodic visits to the outpatients clinic. From being all excited about a weekend's fishing to being rescued by the chopper and flown to hospital, it was certainly a dramatic change to my weekend."