90 Doug and Ken and the Accident

“Boys will be boys” is a phrase that is often heard today, but to most parents, far better then the phrase,” boys will be girls” which for some might be the case. The story I’m about to tell however is based on what happened in the lives of two great kids, the son’s of Ernie and Elma Knopp. Let me put the story together as best I can, about two boys that were doing boy things, something I can see myself doing as a kid, in fact I loved mucking about with old engines and things that ran or should be running, that is what it is all about, trying to make things run.

Well, Doug and Kenny were no different and were having a grand time taking an old kicker apart to see why it didn’t run. It was a typical weekend up Boswell, cloudy with a light drizzle, a good weekend to stay indoors and mind your own business except if you used rain as an excuse for such behavior you might never leave the house.

Anyway as I was saying, the boys were having the time of their lives with the old engine when Kenny said, “It is so dark in here, go get a light Doug, while I look for some gasoline to clean the crud off the old kicker.” “OK,” said Doug as he took off for the empty house.

Their folks had taken their younger sister Laverne and had gone for the day.

Doug looked everywhere for the flashlight he knew his dad kept in the house and finally gave up and grabbed a handful of matches instead.

“Oh, you’re back! It’s about time! Here, give me a hand with the cleaning. Doug grabbed a brush and started cleaning the old engine on the other side. Just then Kenny said, “Where is that light I told you to go get, I can’t see what I am doing on this side.” With that, Doug grabbed a match and as he lit it there was a blinding flash as the pan of gasoline they were using to clean the engine burst into flames, igniting the engine and Doug completely from the waist upwards.

“Jump in the water! Jump in the water,” shouted Kenny, as Doug ran this way and that in his panic, and at last heading into the house where he jumped into the bathtub and turned the shower on. By then it was too late to prevent the flames from inflicting third degree burns over most of his upper body.

Within minutes the camp was aroused and about an hour later a plane took poor Doug to the hospital at Alert Bay where he fought for his life. He had a rough time in the hospital in Alert Bay and suffered a lot, even picking up staph infection. He had to eventually be flown to a hospital in Vancouver, where he stayed for some time. Despite the many scars from his fiery ordeal Doug was very fortunate that none of the burns occurred on his face. It was with great joy that many months later he was able to fly home and be with his family.

We will never know in this life what leads us to the actions that we sometimes take, but we do know that the hand of God oftimes intervenes despite our errors in judgment.