Campaign to help Bude family after home is destroyed by an explosion
Luckily no one was seriously injured when it happened
A crowdfunding campaign have launched to help a family from north Cornwall after their home was destroyed in an explosion.
Emergency services were called to the scene on Traly Close, Bude, at around 9pm on Wednesday night.
Paramedic Darren Cornish had been visiting his parents at their house when he felt himself falling asleep and started to smell gas.
He and his mum went into the kitchen to check everything was OK but Darren says when she opened the oven door, there was a huge bang and the walls blew out.
"The next thing I know there's water running everywhere, gas - I could hear it hissing, mum's making like a crying noise, it's dark and I was just disorientated.
"The front wall, the back wall, the side wall - everything had gone; it had just blown out. But we were left unscathed which was like a miracle. I thought I was dead but then I felt the water on my face and I realised I could hear".
Darren Cornish
Luckily the three of them managed to get out to safety, and only suffered minor injuries.
Darren has praised the emergency services and the local community for their support.
"I managed to get mum and dad out, and then myself out, then the fire brigade and ambulance turned up, they were brilliant, excellent. Absolutely, the welfare, everything, fire, ambulance and police.
"The local community, they all came up and gave a hand, they are great and are being supportive and they want to help, everyone wants to help because it's an unfortunate thing."
Darren Cornish
Now a Go Fund Me page is trying to raise £5,000 to help the family, who have lost everything in the blast, through this difficult time.
The page reads: "On the night of Wednesday the 20th of January the home of Alan and Josie Cornish was rocked by a large gas explosion . Luckily themselves and their son Darren managed to escape the blast with only minor injuries. However the house and many of their possessions were not so lucky.
"So, let's do what we do as a community best and let's help these well known locals, who's lives have been turned upside down.
"Any money raised will go directly to the family so they can start to replace some of the items lost."
Read more:
"I thought I was dead": Cornish paramedic describes devastating explosion at parents' home
Three people taken to hospital with minor injuries after house explosion in Bude
Explosion at house in north Cornwall