A mother has tragically died after an accidental petrol explosion in her own back garden. Nicole Foltz had been in the garden with her husband Jeff when she lit their outdoor fire pit to keep the flies away - but disaster struck when the petrol can she was holding exploded in her hand.
Nicola, from Florida, who was known for her ''radiant smile'' suffered severe injuries across the majority of her body and sadly died in hospital three days later, the Mirror reports. Jeff, who had gone inside at the time of the incident, said: "She put another log on the fire.
"She poured the gas into it and it ignited and blew the can up in her hands which caused her to run, panic. She actually stopped, dropped and rolled like you are supposed to."
The heartbroken widower added: "It’s just one of those senseless acts you don’t expect to happen in your family. Gasoline is not a joke when it comes to fire, you have to be careful or just don’t do it at all."
Nicole has left behind her 11-year-old son Jeffrey who was also hospitalised for 12 days after the explosion after suffering from serious second and third degree burns. Jeff was reportedly by the youngster's side 24/7 and he has now been discharged from hospital.
Staff at the Tarpon Tavern in Tarpon Springs where Nicole worked have donated 10 per cent of their recent proceeds to the family as well as accepting donations from customers to raise extra funds. A GoFundMe has also been set up to support the costs of Nicole's funeral, her hospital bills and her son's rehabilitation.
The fundraising page reads: "The sudden and tragic loss of Nicole Foltz devastated our community. Nicole was loved so much because she truly loved life.
"Her radiant smile always filled the room. She was always there for everyone - there for every relative, every friend, every customer, every co-worker, every birthday, every anniversary, every day for everyone.
"We will miss Nicole, but our memories of her are eternal." Jeff has since thanked everyone for their generous donations and support during this difficult time.
He also paid tribute to his late wife in a heart breaking statement: "She had a fierceness to her. Everybody loved her.
"I don't want to read about somebody else's family having to go through this. It's unimaginable."
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