Haines Borough Assemblyman George Campbell is “fine” and will likely return to town early next week after treatment at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for burns on his face and arms suffered in a boat fire Sept. 26.
“He’s doing as good as he can be,” wife Lynette Campbell said in an interview this week. Her husband was at Kelsall landing, fueling his jetboat around 4 p.m. in advance of moose hunting when the accident occurred. A spark from an electronic bilge pump apparently touched off gasoline vapors, leading to a fire inside and outside the boat, she said.
George put out the flames with a fire extinguisher while on fire himself, his wife said. Some of his most severe burns resulted from the melting of a polar fleece jacket onto his arm. He received excellent care as his companions included a nurse and an EMT, she said.
He was released from Harborview Sept. 27.
George already is talking about changing the design of the boat that has a jet outboard engine, his wife said. Her husband is very safety conscious, she said. “It was kind of a perfect storm of conditions.”
Borough fireman Al Badgley said fire is a potential hazard aboard boats, some of which have blowers to expel fumes. “Any potential spark with fuel vapors can start a fire,” especially when gasoline is used. However, diesel also can be volatile in certain conditions, Badgley said.