TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida man died during a Memorial Day party after an “apparent accidental explosion,” according to deputies.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office said that first responders were called to a home on 3rd Court near DeLand before 4 a.m. Monday for the incident.
Witnesses told the deputies that Michael D. Riedinger, 51, was tending to the bonfire at the home’s patio around 3:30 a.m. The sheriff’s office said while he was out side, one witness heard a loud hissing sound, and another said they heard something loud hit the ground.
When the witnesses went to check on Riedinger, they found him lying on the ground near the bonfire with severe injuries. First responders declared the 51-year-old deceased at the scene.
The initial investigation did not find the source of the apparent explosion, but the sheriff’s office said the Fire Marshal’s Office is looking into what happened.