Dog's Death More Painful Than Losing Home, Blast Survivor Says
By PETER BERNARD and RAY REYES
News Channel 8 and The Tampa Tribune
Duane Cole lost his home in a massive explosion on Feb. 11, but with the help of relatives and friends, he knows he can rebuild it.
The bigger heartbreak, Cole told reporters today, is losing Jingles.
The 10-year-old American Eskimo dog died Saturday from a blood clot. Jingles appeared to have beaten the odds by surviving the explosion at 1525 Michigan Blvd. and being buried under a mound of rubble.
"When Jingles passed away, I lost my buddy," Cole, 46, said at a news conference today. "I lost my companion."
Cole said that Jingles stuck by him even as his personal life crumbled. Cole separated from his wife in July and the dog was like a child to him, he said.
Jingles was there when a 33-pound industrial propane canister exploded in Cole's home, blowing out the walls and lifting the roof of the house. The dog and its owner were thrown into the backyard by the blast.
"I thought Jingles would pull through," Cole said. "We tried so hard. He is my friend and my companion in good times and bad and I'm going to miss him."
Cole said that he is still suffering from headaches and hearing and memory loss. Burns were still visible on his hands.
Cole said he doesn't remember exactly what he was doing when the home he owned for eight years blew up. Investigators with the state fire marshals office said that the propane tank, commonly used to fuel forklifts, was in the bedroom.
Cole, who works in construction, said he doesn't remember why the tanks were in there.
His relatives said today that they are just relieved Cole survived.
"We are so lucky that he is alive," his sister Debbie Butler said. "And we tried, you know, to all pull Jingles through. That was the hardest thing I think I had to go through on Saturday."
Cole's other sister, Linda Herbert, flew in from Colorado after hearing about the incident.
"We're here to get him back on his feet and to help him rebuild," Herbert said.
On Tuesday, Cole thanked firefighters for saving his life and the Suncoast Animal League for doing what it could for Jingles. He vowed to rebuild his home - and his life.
"The past few weeks have been the most difficult of my life," he said. "I've tried to remain positive."
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