Editor’s note: This article may contain sensitive content
ASSINIBOIA -- In a bizarre set of circumstances, which occurred Friday the 13th, a 75-year-old senior citizen and long-time resident of Fife Lake, Sask., set himself on fire. According to a close and caring friend, Eugene Ness, from Rockglen, George Kessler accidently set himself on fire in his own home at about 9:30 a.m. Ness, who rushed Kessler off to Assiniboia Union Hospital, 73 kilometers north of Fife Lake, said that when they arrived at the emergency entrance to the hospital, they were told that emergency was closed.
“We were then told bluntly to go somewhere else for treatment! How, in God’s name, can an emergency room be closed?” asked Ness in disbelief. “How is that even possible? It’s an emergency room, for God’s sake! I was desperate to get old George to the hospital because he had burnt skin hanging from his scalp, ears, and chest.”
“I knew George would soon be going into shock, so there was no time to waste,” said Ness.
In desperation, Ness then rushed his friend off to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Gravelbourg, some 67 km. northwest of Assiniboia. “I was driving like 150 kilometers an hour all the way there,” explained Ness. “My friend was in distress, so I had no choice. Time was of the essence.”
At the hospital in Gravelbourg, emergency staff immediately greeted Ness, and burn victim Kessler. The staff quickly admitted Kessler, assessed him, and then promptly flew him off to Regina by STARS Air Ambulance for further treatment.
“Those folks at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Gravelbourg are amazing! They didn’t waste a single minute! They were awesome,” said Ness proudly.
Kessler - who lives in his own home with a friend in Fife Lake - had apparently poured rubbing alcohol on his scalp to help ease its incessant itching aggravated by the scorching heat the south country has been experiencing this summer. The alcohol, which he applied liberally to his scalp, also made its way down over his ears, shoulders, and chest. It then suddenly and unexpectedly caught fire when Kessler lit a candle to try and reduce its strong, unpleasant smell.
Kessler’s roommate, Greg Larsen, quickly extinguished the fire with wet towels, and then summoned the help of friends, Eugene Ness, and his partner Terry, who were working across the street at the time. Ness quickly loaded Kessler into his car and headed for the hospital in Assiniboia, where they were refused treatment.
According to Ness, who recently spoke with hospital staff in Regina, his friend Kessler is sedated and resting comfortably in the General Hospital there.
During a phone interview on Sunday, Ness said Kessler’s airways - which were a huge concern - were clear, but he did suffer second-degree burns to much of his body. Kessler is expected to make a fair and reasonable recovery and return home in a few days.
This article has been updated to include the corrected name of St. Joseph's Hospital.
