Firefighter Jure Bandov Calls from Hospital: 'Things Are Looking Up'
A member of the Split Public Fire Brigade was injured in a gas cylinder explosion during a fire in Omiš, and the county commander warns of fires caused by human activity.
A member of the Split Public Fire Brigade was injured in a gas cylinder explosion during a fire in Omiš, and the county commander warns of fires caused by human activity.
Firefighter Jure Bandov, a member of the Split Public Fire Brigade, has called from the hospital after being injured in a fire in the Omiš area. Bandov sustained an injury in a gas cylinder explosion, which ruptured his eardrum, and he is being treated at the Split University Hospital Center (KBC Split).
His colleague from the Split Public Fire Brigade, Duje Štrbac, said that Bandov is also a volunteer with the Omiš Volunteer Fire Department and responded to the call without a second thought. "He is recovering well, and we send him our best wishes and support. We hope he'll be back with us as soon as possible," Štrbac told RTL.
Shortly after that statement, Bandov himself called Štrbac from the hospital. In a conversation that friends and colleagues allowed to be made public, the injured firefighter said he was feeling better.
When asked by his colleague if he was recovering, Bandov replied: "Yes, things are looking up. It'll be fine." He also described how he spends his days: "I'm resting, lying down, receiving therapy, and that's about it."
Doctors predict that his condition will improve further by the end of the week. "They expect that by the end of the week, things will settle down, so I might be able to go home around midweek," Bandov said.
The conversation ended with mutual expressions of support. Štrbac wished him a speedy recovery, and Bandov greeted his colleagues: "Sending big greetings to the Split brigade!"
Stjepan Simović, the county fire commander for the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, warned that several recent fires in that area were caused by human activity. A criminal investigation must determine whether it was arson or negligence.
Simović specifically warned against discarding cigarette butts and the irresponsible use of fireworks. "If the fire had turned toward the hospital, we would have had another Omiš," Simović said, referring to the scale of the fire that affected the Omiš area.
