I just heard the hyperbaric chamber at Kesmarc in Ocala “blew up.” Hope no people or horses were injured, although I did hear 2 people were inside, but nothing confirmed. Hearing some horrible things that I hope are not true
Yikes, that’s terrible! Wonder how that happened? (Yes, I know that Oxygen can be EXTREMELY flammable…)
Holy moly…I was a tech for a few years on one and that is a scary thought!
One woman and one horse(event horse trained/ridden by Lauren Kieffer) were killed and another woman was injured and transported by helicopter is what I gathered from the news articles on Facebook. It also said that the horse inside the chamber became upset and starting kicking out so they were on their way shut the chamber down when it exploded.
What a tragedy. My farm is a couple of miles away - as is HITS and the explosion could be heard by everyone for miles. It was incredibly loud. I drove by on the way to get hay and the roof is blown wide open and there is debris all over.
Kesmarc Explosion
Horrible Hyperbaric Chamber Explosion at Kesmarc in Ocala
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/fatal-hyperbaric-chamber-explosion-reported-marion/nHZLx/
Thoughts and prayers to all involved.
Absolutely horrible.
This is certainly tragic! I didn’t realize they could explode! Geezeee, my prayers to all those involved. 
That’s horrific. What is the purpose of a hyperbaric chamber for a horse? Are they deep sea diving down there in Florida?
Anything that involves elevated concentrations of oxygen has the potential to, umm, rapidly oxidize, which is what an explosion is. I can imagine it might have been something like a shod horse kicking at something metal, causing a spark.
Whatever it was, it is very tragic. Sympathies to all involved.
UPDATE
My condolences to Lauren Kieffer on the loss of one of her mounts.
They are used to speed the healing/recovery process. One was used extensively with Neville Bardos and the others after the True Prospect fire last spring. I think that’s probably what helped so much with his miraculous recovery.
How scary. The Eventing Nation report was just updated to say the horse that died was one down in Ocala with the O’Connor Event Team.
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That’s horrific. What is the purpose of a hyperbaric chamber for a horse? Are they deep sea diving down there in Florida?[/QUOTE]
Used for accelerated healing. Very popular therapy. What a tragedy - the deceased woman was only 29 and the injured woman is 33. Not that age matters (I am older than that and wouldnot want to get injured/killed!), but such young women - it makes me even sadder.
This facility has a very good reputation, and there are others in Ocala that use this therapy (The Sanctuary is one and not sure if some of the other clinics have them).
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Yikes, that’s terrible! Wonder how that happened? (Yes, I know that Oxygen can be EXTREMELY flammable…)[/QUOTE]
I don’t know much about the treatment but do have a friend who just started her horse on hyperbaric treatments and she was told no areosol products on horse, tail ect. those products can cause explosion according to hospital treating her horse.
I am so sorry to read of this horrific event!
I have been pretty freaked out by this all morning. What a horrible way to go. I feel so bad for all involved. Apparently they have also exploded with people in them in the past.
wow - how awful!!
http://www.ocala.com/article/20120210/articles/120219990
Excerpt:
Fire rescue officials said the horse was inside the chamber, which is approximately 10-feet to 12-feet wide in diameter, when the animal acted up and started kicking. Officials said the workers went to turn the chamber off when the explosion occurred, sending debris over an area covering at least 1,200-square-feet.
If the report in this article is true - that the horse was shod - it seems like a recipe for disaster. Yikes.
http://www.ocala.com/article/20120210/articles/120219990
Darren Ley, who works at New Episode Training Center at 2001 NW 110th Ave. told a Star-Banner reporter that people he knew at Kesmarc told him that the horse was shoed and that the thrashing of the animal’s hooves may have ignited a spark.
i was talking to my SO about it and his first reaction was a spark caused by metal shoes, too.
awful accident!
terrible! 
