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A 36-year-old paramedic remains hospitalized at Straub Medical Center after he sustained critical injuries in Wednesday’s ambulance fire in Kailua.
A multigovernment agency is continuing to look into the cause of the fire. The Honolulu Fire Department is leading the investigation.
Honolulu firefighters responded to an ambulance fire that occurred in the hospital driveway of Adventist Health Castle at about 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The ambulance was taking a 91-year-old man to the hospital from Kaneohe and arrived in the hospital driveway when it caught fire and became fully engulfed in flames, according to Dr. Jim Ireland, director of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, at a Thursday news conference.
An emergency medical technician driving the ambulance escaped the fire unharmed.
Large flames hindered efforts to assist the 91-year-old patient and paramedic Jeff Wilkinson, who were in the back of the ambulance.
Wilkinson, who has been working with Honolulu Emergency Medical Services for 10 years, managed to escape the fire on his own. He was taken in critical condition to Straub Medical Center’s Burn Unit.
Because the fire was too intense, the 91-year-old patient could not be saved and died in the fire. The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to release his name.
A GoFundMe account created at 808ne.ws/jeffwilkinson to help Wilkinson’s family with medical expenses said Wilkinson is married and a father of two young children.
“Jeff is an amazing human being and those that know him, know they can count on him through thick and thin. Jeff has performed his duties as a paramedic with the utmost integrity and desire to help those from all walks of life,” the account said.
The GoFundMe account has since raised more than $137,000 as of 3 p.m. Monday, surpassing its goal of $100,000.
In a statement Saturday, the Wilkinson family said: “We would like to thank everyone for their support. We’re incredibly grateful for the outpouring of love and generosity from family, friends and even those who have never met Jeff. We appreciate his EMS family, and all the first responders, for everything they’ve done for us in the past few days.
“Although Jeff has a long and difficult recovery ahead of him, he’s progressing better than we expected. We look forward to the day that he’s able to return home.”
The Wilkinson family has requested privacy at this time.
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