‘I have no idea how he actually survived’: Winnipeg man injured in Hawaiian resort explosion

A Winnipeg man has a long road to recovery ahead of him following a catastrophic explosion at a Hawaiian beachfront resort last week.

Darren Stevenson and his wife Diane were vacationing at a condominium-style resort on the west coast of Maui when the incident occurred. Their daughter said the trip was much needed after years of dealing with medical issues within the family.

“My parents wanted to get a well-deserved reprieve because it’s just kind of been problem after problem here at home,” Morgan Stevenson told CTV News Tuesday.

Morgan said her father was cooking dinner on a barbeque Thursday evening at the resort’s outdoor communal kitchen when the explosion happened. Video footage of the blast and aftermath has been circulating online.

“When I saw how bad it was… I have no idea how he actually survived this because he shouldn’t have,” Morgan said.

Her mom had gone to their room to grab something and was returning to the area right before the explosion, but Morgan said she wasn’t hurt during the incident.

“My mom’s fine physically, but the trauma associated with seeing that in itself... I can’t imagine. It’s so different than when a bystander sees anything traumatic.”

According to the Maui Police Department, officers were called to the Kaanapali Beach resort around 6:20 p.m. on Feb. 20 following reports of an explosion. A news release said seven people were injured, with three in critical condition.

An initial investigation suggested liquified petroleum gas was likely involved, and witness statements indicate a possible “grill malfunction” may have occurred before the incident.

Stevenson was originally taken to a Maui hospital, but later flown to Oahu for treatment. Morgan said he suffered extensive injuries to his head, chest and lower body, including broken bones and severe burns.

She said he’s already undergone several operations and procedures and will likely undergo several more, including skin grafts on the burns.

“Right now, we’re just getting out of the initial trauma phase, and now we’re slowly talking about a plan, but we have no idea what that looks like yet. But based on what the surgeons have said, it’s going to be a long and extensive [recovery].”

Morgan said she spoke to her father for the first time yesterday but added her mom had to translate for him because he can’t physically move his mouth due to his injuries.

“It was very relieving to hear his voice or be able to hear whatever sort of voice he could give me,” she explained. “To know kind of where his head’s at or just have him say something normal because with that type of accident, you really don’t know the extent of the damage.”

She said they don’t know when her parents will be able to fly back to Winnipeg but believe it could be several months down the road. A couple family members have travelled to Hawaii to help her mom over the coming days and weeks, while Morgan and her brother handle affairs here in Winnipeg.

“I really just want my parents to be solely focused on his recovery because it’s going to be extensive.”

A GoFundMe has been launched to help pay for medical bills, accommodations, and other expenses while the Stevensons remain in Hawaii.

“He is everything and anything that a person should aspire to be… well-rounded, very intelligent, noble, and very kind,” Morgan said. “This is a catastrophic thing for not only us, but for everyone that knows him.”