Explosion Survivor: 'My Life Will Slow Down From Here On Out'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- An explosion survivor says he will not worry about the little things in life after what he experienced.
Christopher Schueler was with his friend and business partner in early January. A propane tank in the shipping container they were working on exploded.
"Praise God that we're here, and it's just one of those things that happens to you where my life will slow down from here on out," Schueler said.
He recalls the day that changed his outlook from his hospital bed in the Hennepin County Medical Center Burn Unit.
The stone mason was working to turn a shipping container into an office. A propane tank was heating it and somehow caused an explosion.
"The flames had erupted, were already in front of us, so there wasn't fire behind us, but there was only one way to get out and that was to run through the fire," Schueler said.
He made it out, along with his friend, Shane.
"I actually flew in the snow and my friend, my best friend was like, 'Dude, put your face in the snow!'" Schueler said.
He says his hair, facial hair and shirt were on fire.
"And then I looked at my hands and my hands were melting," Schueler said.
His second-degree burns are healing, but it is still hard for this dad comprehend how they escaped.
"You can't really describe it," Schueler said. "If you were to fill up a room with fire and run through it as fast as you can, that's exactly what I did."
And it has reminded him of what's really important in life.
"I have three beautiful kids. That could have been way worse," he said. "It's not all about work and it's not all about being the best at what you do … you're only on this world with the life you have [for] a short period of time and you should cherish it."
Schueler is now home. He received good news recently -- he will not need surgery on his hands.
