‘We’ve seen a lot of miracles’: Crude Oil hauler injured in explosion slowly recovering
Aug 23, 2024, 9:32 PM | Updated: Aug 25, 2024, 12:55 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — The wife of an oil rig worker injured in an explosion said her husband is “doing well for the condition that he is in.”
Ben Roundy was left with third-degree burns on nearly 80% of his body after the explosion in Duchesne County on Aug. 15.
“Ben’s a bit of a prankster,” said Shailee Roundy, Ben Roundy’s wife. “When I got the call from the doctor saying that he had been hurt. I thought he was pulling my leg.”
A family photo of Ben Roundy. (Courtesy Shailee Roundy)
She said she was waiting for him to giggle in the background.
“When the doctors said, ‘We’re life flighting him, so don’t bother driving over here,’ that was the moment that I was like, ‘I’m really talking to a medical professional,” Shailee Roundy recalled.
Ben Roundy is currently being treated at the University of Utah Burn Center. Shailee Roundy said when she saw her husband, he was “so unrecognizable,” so much so that she even checked his tattoos to make sure it was really him.
“You couldn’t discern his features as his. He was just so swollen.” Shailee Roundy said.
Doctors told her that they were not optimistic he would survive based on his injuries. Thankfully, Shailee Roundy said her husband’s swelling is slowly going down and is becoming more recognizable.
Shailee Roundy said she is grateful for the support her family has received, including support from the Be Brave Bailey Foundation.
“We feel those prayers,” she said.
Shailee Roundy knows her husband has a long road to recovery but is hopeful he will be able to be himself again. In the meantime, a GoFundMe* has been set up to help with his medical expenses.
“Ben’s the type of person that was growing his beard out so he could be Santa Claus for kids and he’s such a play time Charlie,” Shailee Roundy said. “I’m hoping that there will be a day when he gets to do that again. We don’t know, but I’m hoping he gets that again.”
The director of Fire and Emergency Management for Duchesne County said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
