Elderly Patient Died in Ambulance Engulfed by Fire in Seconds, Inquest Told

Elderly Patient Died in Ambulance Engulfed by Fire in Seconds, Inquest Told

An inquest has concluded that the death of 79-year-old Christopher Byrne was accidental after his ambulance was catastrophically engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds outside Naas General Hospital in 2016.

The hearing was told a terrifying scene unfolded when a portable medical oxygen cylinder suddenly ignited. A paramedic present at the time, Stephen Lloyd, provided a harrowing account, stating that flames erupted violently from the cylinder “as if they were coming from a flamethrower” immediately after he connected tubing and turned on the gas. He described turning back to find the unit “in flames,” with the interior of the vehicle being rapidly consumed by fire in an estimated four to six seconds.

Despite the frantic efforts of emergency personnel to rescue him from the inferno, Mr. Byrne, who was being transported for treatment, tragically lost his life in the incident.

Following its deliberations, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. However, it also issued a series of recommendations aimed at preventing a future tragedy. The jury called for an urgent review into the use of medical compressed oxygen cylinders to minimize the risks of heat build-up and potential ignition. Crucially, they also recommended that all ambulances be equipped with adequate, immediately accessible firefighting equipment to protect both patients and crew from such rapidly developing dangers.