Family of man who died in West Hurley house explosion says he died trying to rescue friend
Megan Travis said investigators told her that her father — 75-year-old Ralph Brueckner — was still outside his home off Route 28A in West Hurley when it exploded.
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The family of the man who died in a house explosion in West Hurley says he died trying to rescue a friend.
Megan Travis said investigators told her that her father — 75-year-old Ralph Brueckner — was still outside his home off Route 28A in West Hurley when it exploded.
Travis said her father was about to bring some bags inside, just prior to the blast at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
"They had just gone and gotten groceries," she said, then pointing to Brueckner's melted car. "That's why his trunk is open here."
Travis said the family was told it appeared to investigators that after being blown to the ground by the force of the explosion, he went into the burning home to try to save 58-year-old Cheryl Hathaway, of Poughkeepsie.
They were both found dead on scene.
Megan — Brueckner's only child — told her three children what had happened.
"We told them that there was an explosion," she said tearfully, "and Pop-pop passed away trying to save his friend."
New York State Police told News 12 Friday afternoon the explosion was accidental.
The agency's public information officer said propane had been leaking into the home for "an extended period of time," prior to it igniting when Brueckner and Hathaway arrived home.
As a child mainly living with her mother in Canada, Travis recalls spending several summers and holidays on the street named after her father's family.
Brueckner Lane is a private road off of Route 28A, established decades ago by the family.
Travis said she and her husband were planning to renovate the now-destroyed home that was once owned by her grandfather, and come live with her aging father.
"We were going to start building onto the house and eventually move in with him to take care of him," she said. "I don't know what that's going to look like now."
Travis salvaged a few items.
"They brought me his wallet, which I have in my pocket at all times," she said, "and a truck that he had been working on for years."
She added that she plans to finish the restoration of the tarped Dodge truck "because he always wanted me to have that truck."
