A 58-year-old mother from Ohio, Cynthia Hess, tragically died in a freak accident on Monday, March 10, after her backyard fire pit caused her severe injuries after a flare-up. Hess's death comes more than seven years after her own son, Zachary Hess, tragically died at a construction site.
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According to Fox 19, Greenfield Drive neighbors called emergency services after hearing what they thought was an explosion at Cynthia's home at around 8 p.m. One neighbor jumped a fence and saw Cynthia "actively burning," as per a report. While attempting to put out the fire, the neighbor suffered burns in his hands. Upon arrival, they discovered that Cynthia had been engulfed in a fire coming from her backyard fire pit. She sustained severe burns that covered 90% of her body.
Cynthia Hess was rushed to West Chester Hospital and was later airlifted to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. A day later, on Tuesday, March 11, Hess sadly succumbed to her injuries.
Investigations carried out by the Deerfield Township Fire Department, while not conclusive at the moment, point toward a freak accident. As per Patrick Strausbaugh, Deerfield Township Fire Captain, it appears that Cynthis Hess was burning wood moments before she was engulfed in flames.
"There's no evidence of any crime or any other involvement with another person or anything that would have done harm," Strausbaugh added. Hess was alone at the house at the time of the accident.
While neighbors reported hearing an explosion, evidence at the house suggests that it was actually a fire flare-up. No debris was found at the scene. It is unclear whether Cynthia used any type of flammable liquid, according to Strausbaugh, The incident remains under investigation.
Son Tragedy
Back in 2017, Cynthia's son, Zachary Hess, died at a construction site while digging a trench. As per WLWT, Zachary fell after the trench caved in on him. He was at least 16 feet deep into the hole. It took 150 first responders and 11 hours to recover his body. It was later found out that there were serious violations in relation to the trench collapse and the construction site.
Ever since the death of her son, Cynthia sought justice and dedicated her spare time to spreading awareness regarding trench safety. "I feel like I owe him that," she told WLTW at the time, saying that she didn't want her son to only be "a statistic. "I don't want his death to be in vain," she added.
