ROCHESTER, Mich. – A 12-year-old boy remains in the hospital after he was injured in the propane torch heater explosion Saturday night in downtown Rochester.
“Matthew remains in really good spirits,” his mother, Rachel Vincler, said.
Vincler said Matt was hit by shrapnel and will undergo surgery on his left hand on Thursday (May 23).
The explosion happened outside 423 Main Bar Grill & Rooftop.
When he saw the fire, Matthew was on a bike ride with three friends.
“Everybody on the street and the sidewalk kind of stopped, and they were looking at it,” Vincler said. “The boys were about 60 feet away.”
And that’s when the explosion happened, sending shrapnel flying.
“Some type of projectile hit my son and another boy in their group, and they were both knocked on unconscious,” Vincler said. “He does have memory of watching the fire and then his next memory is waking up in the ambulance.”
Mathew and his friend were rushed to the hospital. Vincler recalls getting that call that her son was hurt.
“It was terrifying,” Vincler said.
Firefighters said three adults were also taken to nearby hospitals. Medics evaluated several other people at the scene.
Rochester fire officials are still trying to determine what caused the explosion.
“I can always think of going out to a restaurant or eating outside or even going to a party at somebody’s home and being near one of those heaters and thinking this is so great,” Vincler said. “I won’t be thinking that anymore because this was a very dangerous situation.”