Ontario golf resort employee dies following propane explosion
· Toronto Sun
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A 63-year-old man has died after a propane explosion at a golf course east of Peterborough.
The Ontario Provincial Police did not release the identity of the man, but a post on the Warkworth Community Bulletin Facebook page identified the victim as Derek Harding.
“I can confirm that my husband, Derek Harding, succumbed at 1.10am (Thursday) morning to catastrophic burns as a result of the propane explosion at Bellmere winds golf resort,” Clare Harding wrote on the page. “I would ask that you offer us the courtesy of privacy at this time whilst we grieve the loss of a much loved husband, father and grandfather.”
The explosion happened at about 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Bellmere Winds Golf Resort, near Peterborough County Road 2 and Villiers Line.
Peterborough County-City Paramedics and township firefighters also responded to the explosion.
Harding was transported from the scene by ambulance before being airlifted to a Toronto-area hospital with life-threatening injuries before dying early Thursday.
Community reacts to death
Tributes to the man poured in on the community site.
“No words can be spoken to comfort your heart,” one member of the site said. “Your husband was special to me. He took to me for some reason. Every time he saw me, he would stop and talk to me. Whenever I needed help, he never said no. In exchange all he wanted was a good cup of black coffee. I am and will always be forever grateful for Derek. He was an amazing human and I am so lucky to have had him in my life story. I wish you all much love and comfort.”
Another individual also wrote about Harding’s kindness and generosity.
“Clare, we have never met but I wanted to reach out to express our deepest sympathies and how truly sorry our family is to hear this news,” they shared online. “We have been at Bellmere 6 years now and Derek was truly the most kind, courteous, funny, and helpful person. We will miss our talks with him about the UK.”
Harding was an employee of the golf resort.
“The loss of our team member is deeply felt by all who had the privilege of working alongside them,” a statement from the golf resort said. “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their family, loved ones, friends and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time. We are supporting our community and ask that the family be afforded privacy as they grieve.”
No other injuries were reported.
Incident being investigated
“The safety and well-being of our guests, owners, team members and contractors remain our highest priority,” the golf resort added. “We are cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities as they investigate the incident.”
Township fire chief Chuck Parsons says while the explosion was propane-related, it was not from a tank.
The OPP said they will investigate the explosion alongside several other agencies, including the fire marshal and Ministry of Labour.