Woman Hurt In Hyperbaric Chamber Explosion Dies
Child still listed in critical condition
LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA (CBS4) ―
The grandmother of four-year-old Francesco Pio Martinisi has died from her injuries suffered when a hyperbaric chamber she was in with Francesco exploded, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Francesco's condition is still listed as critical.
Francesco came out of surgery late Friday night. His cousins told CBS4 Reporter Natalia Zea he is in critical condition, with burns covering 90 percent of his body.
Francesco and his grandmother were both badly burned during specialized hyperbaric oxygen therapy that is meant to help him. Hyperbaric oxygen chambers are used to breathe pure oxygen while under increased air pressure as a means to treat a variety of medical conditions.
Francesco has Cerebral Palsy. It has prevented him from being able to talk, and he has difficulty walking. His family spends hundreds of thousands of dollars and most of their time on his treatment.
They came to the Ocean Hyperbaric Oxygen Neurologic Center at 4001 Ocean Drive in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea because hyperbaric oxygen therapy isn't offered in their home country of Italy. But the treatment that was supposed to help Francesco gain balance so he can walk has put him in critical condition and killed his grandmother.
Initial reports show they were both inside a hyperbaric chamber when it exploded and was caught in a flash fire.
Witness Nicole Huffman remembers the chaos. She says, "Dr. Sierra was screaming to get out of the building. We went downstairs and there was smoke pouring out of the room where the hyperbaric chambers are."
Stephanie Heier ran out, too. "It was scary, I'm just worried and I hope everyone's ok."
Sadly, Francesco and his grandmother were not ok. They were burned on most of their bodies and were rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital's burn unit. A Broward Sheriff's Deputy risked his life to pull them out of the fire.
All the commotion left employees at the Center stunned and visibly upset.
Alessandra Ancona is a friend of the family. She doesn't understand how the chamber caught fire. She was in disbelief.
The chamber where this tragedy happened has now been taken out of the Center, and the little boy who has already been through so much is fighting to recover.
Francesco's parents both still live in Italy. His dad has stayed with him here in Florida for the past six months and left a week ago for the birth of Francesco's younger sibling. Now, his father has arrived back to Florida to watch over his critically burned son.