NGU student flown to burn center following Travelers Rest explosion

UPDATE: GoFundMe page started for student badly burned in Travelers Rest explosion

TRAVELERS REST, S.C. — A 20-year-old man was flown to Augusta Burn Center following an explosion in Travelers Rest on Tuesday morning.

The incident happened around 9:15 a.m. at the Miracle Hill Thrift Store on Roe Center Court in Travelers Rest, where the man works.

According to reports, Joey Hyatt, who is a student at North Greenville University, was operating a forklift that was stored in a metal shipping container behind the building at the time of the explosion.

One eyewitness said the explosion, which was heard at city hall and various other locations throughout town, lifted the storage container off of the ground.

John Fiedler with Miracle Hill released the following statement following the incident:

"An employee who was attempting to start a forklift stored inside a storage building on the back side of Miracle Hill’s Travelers Rest thrift store property was burned after an explosion inside the building resulted in a fire.  Staff immediately contacted emergency personnel.  The employee was airlifted to the Burn Center in Augusta.  We are not yet releasing the employee’s name in order to ensure family notification first.  Miracle Hill is cooperating fully with authorities as they investigate the accident.  We request prayers for the employee, the employee’s family and Miracle Hill staff."

The extent of HYatt's injuries are unknown at this time, but Travelers Rest Police Chief Lance Crowe said he was conscious when he was transported.