Special Olympian survives gas bottle explosion

Two weeks after a gas bottle exploded at his Layou residence, Karim French is basking in the miracle of his survival and looking forward to getting back to playing the sports he loves.

The accident which almost claimed the life of the 47-year-old Special Olympian happened on the morning of Friday, August 25, while breakfast was being prepared by someone else in the downstairs portion of the home. French told SEARCHLIGHT he had suspected that there was an issue with the head of the gas bottle and he had vocalized his concerns about it being used.

His words came to pass shortly after when the bottle exploded right in front of him resulting in third degree burns to more than 50 per cent of his body. His hands and arms were directly injured by the blast as he raised them to protect his face, while his legs and buttocks were burned when the pants that he was wearing caught on fire. Only his chest and his back were not scorched in the  explosion.

French was rushed to the Buccament Bay Clinic and later transported to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital where he was warded in the Intensive Care Unit for over a week.

The days immediately following the explosion were touch-and-go for the football lover who represented the country in the 2019 Special Olympics World Games, as medical personnel worked to stabilize him and ensure that the burns were properly treated so as to avoid infection. Over the last few days, French’s condition has improved and he has been able to lift his head as well as flex his arm and fingers, both of which were severely burned.

He told SEARCHLIGHT he is still experiencing a great deal of pain and has only been able to sleep “off and on”.

Life-long friend and fellow Special Olympian, Terrance Davis told SEARCHLIGHT the information coming to him immediately following the explosion was sketchy and he was even told that French had died as a result of the blast.

When Davis arrived at the hospital he said it was difficult to see his “bubbly” friend in such a bad condition, but even worse was the fact that he had to inform French’s family, most of whom reside overseas, about the accident.

“I was in shock, I was hearing the story but nobody could tell me really what happened… listening to the story, I heard that the whole downstairs was destroyed. The hardest thing for me was how do I tell his [family].”

Davis said he is relieved to see French progressing toward recovery, even though he knows that there is still a long-road ahead.

“This is definitely a miracle and I always believed that he would pull through because he is somewhat of a stubborn nature.”