"The boys have a long road ahead of them, but we are just so thankful that we even have this road with them," the boy's mom Kelsey said.
In South Dakota, a house explosion claimed the lives of two grandparents and a 6-month-old girl. The tragic explosion happened on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at a house south of Fort Pierre just before 10:30 a.m. local time, reported The Associated Press. The blast's debris was spread around 50 to 100 yards distant, per CBS affiliate KELO-TV.
LaDonna Hupp, 61, and Harper Hupp, 6 months, were pronounced dead at the scene, Stanley County Sheriff Brad Rathbun said to reporters, while William Hupp, 66, passed away at a nearby hospital. Myles, age 5, and Royce, age 3, survived but were taken to a burn unit at a hospital in Minnesota. As Myles recovers, he continues to search for members of his family who passed away in the terrible tragedy.
The family's two surviving children are being treated for their wounds in a hospital. Myles' mother Kelsey said in a journal entry on a Caring Bridge page that 10% of his body has burns, "mainly 1st and 2nd degree."
She wrote, "He squeezes my hand and wiggles his toes. He even fought sedation one time and sat up and looked around," possibly to look for his siblings and grandparents. The 25% of Royce's body that was burned included "more severe 3rd degrees on his chest and arms." They both have intubations, Kelsey shared.
Baby girl and grandparents killed in horrific South Dakota house explosion pic.twitter.com/qY4hJahVTv
— DTN NEWS (@DTNNEWUpdates) May 25, 2023
Parents Trevor Hupp, a banker, and nurse practitioner Kelsey Hupp, were at work when the "tragic" explosion occurred. They are now coping with the "loss of their infant daughter, Harper, and both of Trevor's parents."
Following the tragedy, the family's neighborhood and community have all come together to support them amid their loss. Trevor's employer, First National Bank, said in a Facebook post that a fund had been established in Kelsey and his name.
In the meantime, as of Thursday, a GoFundMe campaign established to assist them had collected over $393,000 in donations. "As Kelsey and Trevor try to help their sons to heal while their own hearts are beyond broken, we are asking for donations to help with everything they are currently facing," read a message on the fundraiser.
A house explosion near Fort Pierre that killed three people, including an infant girl Wednesday, has resulted in an outpouring of emotional and financial support from people across South Dakota. https://t.co/irOXwQfDRu pic.twitter.com/wbIDSZoTzr
— KELOLAND News (@keloland) May 26, 2023
The explosion's cause is being investigated, but no wrongdoing is thought to have occurred. The family has requested prayers and support as their sons heal. "The boys have a long road ahead of them, but we are just so thankful that we even have this road with them," Kelsey said on Caring Bridge. "They are strong and will persevere. Please don't stop praying. I'm going to need every ounce I can get to continue," she added. "We love our family, friends and community so much."
Two grandparents and their infant granddaughter were killed in South Dakota in home a explosion.
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) May 26, 2023
The blast completely leveled the house.https://t.co/gtImDAWaTZ
References:
https://apnews.com/article/house-explodes-south-dakota-5db4b787a1405510effc17b3cd11d641
https://www.gofundme.com/f/hupp-family-tragedy
https://www.facebook.com/FirstDakota/posts/642178831259883
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mylesandroyceyboy/journal/view/id/646f387ef33a090f441d1336
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
