A Florida dad has tragically died in a house fire after leaving oil on the stove while he fell asleep. According to People, Walter Bowers III was just 34 years old.
The tragic incident occurred at the Pine Ridge Apartments in Gulf County, Florida, on May 30. Officers arrived at the scene with heavy smoke present in the apartment.
The dad had apparently left oil on the stove to warm up, ready to make wings. But he fell asleep and left the gas on, before a tragic fire started.
Bowers' children were also present at the scene, which was described as being covered "floor-to-ceiling" in smoke "with zero visibility." Despite this, they managed to find one child who was "barely breathing", alongside another child and the dad himself.
They were all transported to hospitals in critical condition. The children, who were later described as 5 and 10 years old, luckily made it out alive. They were described in a later update as "awake and playing", and luckily "recovering so fast."
Bowers was not so fortunate - the dad of two was pronounced dead on June 1, according to a statement from his family. Bowers, or "Boug" as everyone called him, "was a beloved son, father, brother, grandson, nephew, brother-in-law, and friend whose love, strength, and presence touched countless lives."
The dad's mother said that she was relieved that her grandchildren survived, despite everything. "My son did unfortunately pass away, but my two grandchildren - who were also involved in this tragedy - on the bright side are healthy and
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This Tragic Incident Shows Just How Deadly a Cooking Fire Can Be
This incident should serve as a reminder to make sure you are attentive whenever you're cooking.
The U.S. Fire Administration has released some pretty shocking statistics. They wrote, "The leading factor contributing to ignition in nonconfined home cooking fires was unattended equipment (37%).
In order to prevent a tragedy like this happening, they have released some key messages to make sure cooking fires don't happen.
- Stand by your pan. If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off.
- Watch what you are cooking. Fires start when the heat is too high. If you see any smoke or the grease starts to boil, turn the burner off.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so that no one can bump them or pull them over.
- Keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby. Use it to cover the pan if it catches on fire. This will put out the fire.
