Of the 19 injured Babine Forest Products employees, Derek MacDonald is one of last to be discharged from hospital. More than a month has passed since the Babine Forest products explosion and fire on Jan. 20, 2012 and local Kenny Michell remains at the Vancouver General Hospital receiving treatment for extensive burns.
It was an emotional scene as Derek arrived at the Margaret Patrick Memorial Hall last week, after being discharged from the Vancouver General Hospital.
Family, friends and Babine Forest Products employees gathered at the entrance to greet Derek as he passed through the door. Tears flowed as they caught the first glimpse of him, after a 34 day stay in hospital.
Still in recovery Derek slowly greeted everyone with hugs and hand shakes.
Fellow Babine Forest Products coworkers Steve Derksen and Ernie Nesbitt, who helped direct firefighters to Derek and a number of other employee's locations in the sawmill that was rocked by an explosion and engulfed in flames on Jan. 20, 2012, were also on hand to welcome Derek home.
Father, Frank MacDonald said it had been an emotional and stressful 34 days for the family.
"We have him home now, but this is very sad for us. The whole family went with him to Vancouver. We can't blame anybody for what happened at the mill, it is the way the ball bounced and blaming people won't solve anything. We have to leave it in God's hands, but I am really glad to have my son back at home."
Frank said he was also an employee of the sawmill. "I have worked there for 31 years in the maintenance department. We should not be here pointing fingers and what can't say this happened, or this happened and Hampton Affiliates is to blame .... hopefully they rebuild the sawmill and we can just keep on going," Frank said.
According to Derek's wife, Beatrice MacDonald, Derek was in the intensive care unit at the Prince George Regional Hospital on Jan. 21, 2012, when the decision was made by physicians to send him to Vancouver General Hospital for extended care.
"He had first degree burns on his face and legs and third degree burns on his hands because he put his hands up to protect his face," Beatrice said.
She went on to say that he hasn't fully spoken to family or friends about the accident. "It is hard for him," she added.
Derksen said to Lakes District News that he was on a catwalk at the time of the blast and was flung 80 feet. "The force of the explosion blew the floor away and blew the roof off the building."
Derksen, who did break relief and worked in every part of the sawmill said he went into the round saw room after the explosion and found Derek.
"Derek didn't want to leave with me, he told me he was warm and that it was too cold outside ... he was disoriented and in shock so I went to get help from the firefighters," said Derksen.
Derksen said the severity of the explosion was unbelievable.
"I heard a whooshing sound, then there was a really bright flash light .... and the heat wouldn't stop, it got incredibly hot. A big fireball came up ... there was one big explosion followed by several others ... the setaline tanks all blew up. I was pretty goal oriented to get out."
Derksen said once out of the sawmill he found Ryan Belcourt, sawmill supervisor and directed him to Derek's location.
"I looked around at 90 per cent of the sawmill was engulfed in flames."
Derksen suffered third degree burns on his shoulder and first degree burns to his head and hands.
"My face got incredibly hot and so did my back .... it felt like an iron was burning into my skin on my shoulder."
While Derksen is off his pain medication he said the burns are still sore when something rubs against them or touches them and he said they are very itchy. "They gave me morphine, then had to give me stronger morphine at the hospital for the pain."
Derksen who was able to secure a job at Endako Mine recently, said he is not scared to work in a sawmill again.
"This is nobody's fault ... it was just a freak accident," he said.