Lake County man hospitalized after reported explosion rocks Mount Dora home
MOUNT DORA, Fla. - A Lake County man was hospitalized on New Year's Eve following an explosion that severely damaged his Mount Dora home.
Emergency crews, including the Lake County Fire Department, Mount Dora Fire Department, and EMS, responded to the scene on West Main Street late Tuesday evening.
Officials said the man was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center around 10 p.m. after neighbors and rescue personnel assisted him out of the wreckage.
Jeremy Jenkins, a neighbor, captured video moments after the explosion.
"I came out the door and saw the house collapsed. I was scared," Jenkins told FOX 35 News. "We honestly thought about just hopping in the car right then and taking off."
Jenkins also recorded footage of neighbors pulling the injured man from the rubble.
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"I don’t think I was processing it as I was recording," Jenkins said. "It was surreal, like something out of a movie. He was hurt a lot worse than he realized."
The victim staggered toward paramedics before being flown to the hospital.
Neighbors revisited the scene Wednesday, stunned by the destruction.
"This thing’s just disintegrated," said Eli Hendrickson, who lives behind the site. "I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s crazy."
Hendrickson described the moment of the explosion.
"I felt my trailer rock like a drunk driver slammed into it," he said.
Officials said the damage was contained to the single home, with no signs of a fire. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, and authorities have not released details on the extent of the man’s injuries.
Further updates will be provided as new information becomes available.
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The Source: Information for this article is provided by the Lake County Fire Department, Mount Dora Fire Department, and from witness accounts.