A woman who suffered serious burns in a campground explosion met some of the men who helped save her and her husband moments after the blast.
Carmen Ruelas and her husband, James, were cooking in their recreational vehicle at Santee Lakes on Oct. 5 when a propane tank exploded inside the RV.
She said James was thrown from the RV by the force of the blast. He suffered third degree burns on nearly 50 percent of his body and is still hospitalized.
Carmen, who suffered second degree burns from the waist down, took part in a ceremony Wednesday to honor two of the men who came to their rescue.
“It brings back a lot of memories but I’m happy to be here to say thank you in person,” Ruelas said at the meeting of the Padre Dam Municipal Water District.
The board recognized James Wagner, a camper at Santee Lakes, who Ruelas said jumped into action seconds after the explosion shook the campground.
U.S. Navy submarine machinist Dylan Perkins was also honored but he was unable to attend the ceremony due to a family emergency.
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Both men were lauded for a “selfless act of courage” by the board.
Ruelas says the men saved their lives.
“They didn't hesitate at all,” she said. “They were there."
“They were definitely heroes.”
Two sailors with USS Albuquerque based at Point Loma were also on the scene when the propane tank exploded.
Wesley Wood and Patrick Igoe attended the ceremony and were applauded by those in attendance.
The two sailors were visiting Perkins when they found themselves in the middle of an emergency. They were driven by an adrenaline rush, they said.
“I saw the explosion it was on the other side of the trees from me,” Wood told NBC 7.
Wood said he and Perkins ran inside the RV and put out any remaining fire.
Meanwhile, Igoe said he put the couple in a shower to cool them off as quickly as possible.
“They were struggling, breathing pretty hard so I just calmed him down,” Igoe said.
As for the Ruelas family, there is an online fundraising page collecting donations to help the couple while they recover.
“It’s a slow process,” Ruelas said. “We’re taking it day by day.”
She said James really wants to come back to the RV lifestyle but she has her doubts.
“I’m not sure yet,” she said.
