A man has been hospitalised with burns to his face and body following an explosion in one of his food trucks stationed on the South Coast.
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Andrew Dale was flown to the burns unit at Concord Hospital in Sydney after an explosion in his food truck, The Lost Thong at Batemans Bay, on Sunday, at 11.25am before he had opened it to the public.
"I was so lucky I was leaning on the front counter writing up a menu board when it went bang," he wrote on Facebook.
"There was an explosion that I thought deafened me in my right ear, but hasn't.
"I can't believe that I walked out of it. No cuts, no blood but a number of burns and a fair bit of singed hair, unfortunately not the hair on my back.
"Flames went to the roof then rolled down the front wall and that's how I got a burnt face."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Mr Dale, who has said he has now "officially retired" from food trucks, and who has a history of helping those in need in the community, from bushfire victims to families isolated by COVID lockdowns.
"I'm grateful that I got to walk away today. I can't figure out how I had so much luck," he wrote on his Facebook page.
The organiser of the GoFundMe page, Jessie Zivkovic, said Mr Dale's family were with him and guiding him through his recovery.
The fundraiser was to extend a helping hand to Mr Dale who had helped many other people over the years.
"Anyone that knows Andrew knows the type of man he is," the GoFundMe page read.
"Andrew is the founder of The G Spot food van in Canberra bringing amazing late night food to 1000s of people from all over.
"Andrew rallied behind the devastating 2019-2020 NSW fires and bought hope, peace, joy, food, clothes, courage and so much more to people that lost everything but the clothes on their backs.
"He rallied behind the NSW floods.
"This is just a little bit of what Andrew has done for people.
"He just continues to help lend a hand where ever he can no matter how great or small."
Donations to the fundraiser can be made here.
Megan Doherty
I like telling local stories and celebrating Canberra. Email: megan.doherty@canberratimes.com.au
I like telling local stories and celebrating Canberra. Email: megan.doherty@canberratimes.com.au
