Man sets himself on fire at Poughkeepsie waterfront (Video)

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Poughkeepsie firefighters carrying the victim to the ambulance.

POUGHKEEPSIE – A 31-year-old resident of Wappingers Falls suffered severe burns to a large portion of his body after setting himself on fire at Waryas Park in the City of Poughkeepsie on Thursday, December 2, at approximately 2:22 p.m.

The unidentified victim was witnessed sitting near the boat ramp where he doused himself in gasoline and lit himself on fire.

City police and firefighters rushed to the scene minutes after the 911 reports.  City DPW employees who were at the park had witnessed the incident and called 911 before rushing to help. The workers quickly filled buckets with water from the Hudson River and splashed them on the man repeatedly until the fire was out.

Initial reports did not indicate that any of the workers attempted to use a fire extinguisher to put the fire out.

The man was triaged at the scene by city firefighters and Mobile Life Support Services personnel before being transported to MidHudson Regional Hospital.  As of Thursday evening, the patient was in critical condition.

(c) Mid-Hudson News




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