BAGLEY, Minn. – Five young boys and their father are expected to survive
after a freak explosion in northern Minnesota nearly killed them
Monday November 4.
The boys’ family and their father told WDAY News that doctors at a Twin Cities burn unit will likely have a much better idea of the severity of their burns by Thursday. That’s when the swelling should subside and allow doctors to determine what will heal on its own and what needs further treatment.
“We have every confidence in the Lord that they will pull through. It’s a miracle, first of all, that they are still with us,” said Dimitri Frank, whose brothers were injured in the explosion.
The injured brothers, ranging in age from 6 to 14, along with their father, Frank Ritchie, are in critical but stable condition. They all remain stunned, but they all respond in some way.
“Some nod yes or no, some can move a little, like today one of them tried to sit up,” said Dimitri Frank.
Dimitri and Dante Frank are the older brothers of the five boys. They said they went to a storage unit in Bagley Monday afternoon to grab some Lego when the explosion happened.
Investigators determined that a leaking propane tank exploded when their father lit a cigarette. The family said investigators told them almost anything could have caused the propane tank to explode that day.
“As simple as something static, rubbing it with a cloth could have caused it too,” said Dimitri Frank.
The five brothers and their father suffered first- and third-degree burns all over their bodies. Most of their bodies are 25% covered in burns.
“They are in raw form, so it’s hard to see, but it’s inspiring to see them moving and reacting, and that gives us some hope,” said Dimitri Frank.
The big brothers described their little brothers as friendly and inseparable. They do everything together and are often called ‘the boys’.
“They’re very friendly in a way, they deal with everything very kindly,” Dante Frank said.
They also have quite a sense of humor.
“The burn unit is going to have their hands full when they wake up, they’re going to cause some commotion,” Dante Frank said.
The family said they are amazed that within 48 hours
their GoFundMe
has raised almost $50,000.
A CaringBridge site
was also created to keep the community informed. Many have left prayers on the websites and sent private messages. The family also asked those praying for their families for the doctors, who the family said have a lot of work to do.
“Thank you to everyone who supported. There are some names in there that we recognized, but there are also a lot of names that we didn’t recognize, so thank you very much to those people,” said Dimitri Frank.
Matt Henson is an Emmy Award-winning reporter/photographer/editor for WDAY. Before joining WDAY in 2019, Matt was the main anchor at WDAZ in Grand Forks for four years.