Nebraska man seriously injured after trying to convert propane tank to smoker
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A man was seriously injured Monday in an explosion near McCook.
Around 5:15 p.m., the Red Willow County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an explosion south of McCook along Highway 83.
A 25-year-old man, Thatcher Skolout, was in the process of converting a propane tank into a smoker, according to the sheriff’s office.
He took precautions by using water inside the tank to displace the vapor. But not all of the vapors were expelled, the sheriff’s office said.
Skolout tried to cut the tank with a torch, igniting the vapors and causing an explosion.
He was initially taken to a hospital in McCook but later flown to CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
The sheriff’s office said Tuesday that Skolout was expected to be in the intensive care unit for the next five days as doctors try to reduce swelling on his brain.
