MARION COUNTY, Fla.,None — WFTV has obtained the sheriff's report on a deadly explosion at a race horse rehab facility in Marion County.
The blast killed a 28-year-old woman and a horse, and injured a visitor last Friday.
According to the report, workers had been concerned that something was wrong with the chamber. They were worried about oxygen leaking from around the valves on the chamber.
In order to maintain the desired pressure, the chamber had to be operated manually. But according to the report, that's not the issue that caused the explosion.
Skywitness 9 HD flew above the KESMARC South Equine Rehabilitation Center shortly after the Feb. 10 explosion that claimed the life of Erica Marshall days before her 29th birthday.
Another woman, Sorcha Moneley, an observer from London, was seriously injured in the hyperbaric blast on the Marion-Levy County line. The Marion County Sheriff's Office just completed its report on exactly what happened in the approximately 22 minutes before the devastating explosion.
KESMARC South's high-oxygen, hyperbaric chamber was used to help treat horses after surgery, soft tissue injuries, or was used for relaxation therapy.
Tux the horse was suffering from nervous system issues when he was placed in the chamber. According to Moneley, Tux received a sedative and had been in the chamber three or four times before.
The horse's feet were fitted with steel shoes. They weren't covered, but it wasn't considered necessary. The inside of the chamber was coated with a protective covering. But Tux became unsettled, kicking to his rear.
He dislodged a lid at the rear of the chamber, exposing raw metal. He kept kicking until he created a spark.
Moneley left to call the fire department while Marshall began to try to bring the chamber back to normal pressure. It was then that Moneley heard an explosion. The second blast knocked her off her feet.
Marshall and Tux were killed.
Moneley is in good condition at Shands Hospital in Gainesville. The Sheriff's Office case is closed, but OSHA is still investigating. It has up to six months to complete its report.
Previous:
WFTV
