In a wrongful death lawsuit related to an explosion that caused an ambulance to catch fire and killed a 91-year-old Hawaii man, paramedics are accused of leaving the patient in the burning vehicle.

The explosion, linked to an oxygen tank, occurred outside the Adventist Health Castle medical center in Kailua on August 24, 2022, according to Honolulu Civil Beat, which first reported on the lawsuit.

Fred Kaneshiro of Honolulu was being taken to a hospital from the Honolulu emergency room when the explosion occurred. He was strapped to a stretcher in the ambulance, according to a complaint filed Aug. 23.

Two paramedics were able to escape from the vehicle after the explosion, the lawsuit says. The indictment accuses them of causing Kaneshiro’s death by failing to keep the interior of the ambulance safe and save him.

Kaneshiro was “left to burn alive in the inferno,” the indictment states.

His body was found on the stretcher after firefighters battled flames that “kept flaring up” for nearly 10 minutes, the complaint said.

After a preliminary investigation, Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon K. Hao announced in September 2022 that the fire was an accident and was linked to a “portable oxygen regulator unit,” KITV reported.

In the lawsuit filed by Kaneshiro’s niece, who represents his estate, against the City and County of Honolulu and the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, the two paramedics are accused of negligence, including by failing to properly use and monitor medical equipment, including oxygen devices.

“The lawsuit was filed to seek answers and closure over Mr. Kaneshiro’s horrific death,” attorney Robert Miyashita, who is prosecuting the case, told McClatchy News on August 27.

Shayne Enright, spokeswoman for the Honolulu Emergency Management Agency, told McClatchy News that the city had not received the lawsuit as of Aug. 27 and declined to comment.

The lawsuit also names several medical supply companies as defendants, including Rescue Safety Pacific Inc. The companies are accused of, among other things, being involved in the development, distribution, sale and warranty of the products that played a role in the ambulance explosion.

Rescue Safety Pacific Inc. told McClatchy News on Aug. 27 that the organization was unaware of the lawsuit and declined to comment. The other companies did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.

Kaneshiro, who was born on Maui, was a passionate farmer throughout his life and until his death, his niece Roberta Kinoshita told McClatchy News on Aug. 27. He purchased a farm in Waimanalo in Honolulu County in the early 1950s and grew crops including watermelons, winter melons, corn, soybeans, bananas and papayas, Kinoshita said.

“He was quiet, soft-spoken and reserved. He loved farming and enjoyed watching and talking about baseball,” Kinoshita said of her uncle.

What happened before the explosion?

On August 24, 2022, an ambulance was dispatched to the Windward City Shopping Center in Kaneohe, where Kaneshiro needed medical attention, the complaint states.

After arriving, paramedics administered supplemental oxygen through a mask connected to a portable tank and strapped him to a stretcher before loading him into the ambulance’s patient compartment, according to the complaint.

During the ride to the hospital, one of the paramedics decided to switch Kaneshiro from a non-rebreathing mask to a CPAP mask, which drew oxygen from an outlet in the ambulance rather than from a portable tank, the complaint says.

As they approached the hospital, the paramedic connected the CPAP mask to the portable oxygen tank – a typical protocol for transporting a patient from the ambulance to the hospital, KITV reported.

“As the paramedic connected the CPAP machine to the portable oxygen cylinder, a sound described as a ‘pop’ was heard, followed by a bright flash of light, after which the back of the ambulance immediately filled with smoke and fire,” Honolulu Emergency Services Director Dr. Jim Ireland said in September 2022, according to the television station.

The lawsuit states that the paramedic “failed to shut off the supply of oxygen” from the ambulance’s main oxygen tank “before or after disconnecting or removing Mr. Kaneshiro’s CPAP mask” from the outlet in the ambulance. The portable oxygen tank’s valve was also open at the time, and a loud hissing sound could be heard coming from its direction, the lawsuit says.

This resulted in an explosion, followed by flames, while Kaneshiro was “alert,” the complaint states.

One of the paramedics stopped the ambulance and opened the rear door of the vehicle after the explosion, the complaint said. The paramedic who had been giving Kanshiro oxygen “jumped out” and went to the hospital for treatment, the complaint said.

The paramedic who entered the hospital was seriously injured in the explosion, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported.

“Kaneshiro was left helpless and trapped in the ambulance compartment, still strapped to the stretcher” and “burned to death by the fire,” the complaint states.

His death occurred prematurely, according to the lawsuit, which seeks general, special and punitive damages.

“Mr. Kaneshiro was conscious at the time of the fire, strapped to a stretcher and eventually burned alive. Further investigation will be conducted as part of the lawsuit,” Miyashita told McClatchy News.

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