I was close to God - blast man

2004-03-30 23:41

Lizel Steenkamp

Pretoria - A Centurion man believes an encounter with God and a dip in a saltwater swimming pool saved his life after he received 67% burns about six weeks ago.

Johan Ackerman, 44, told on Tuesday how a freak accident on February 14 almost killed him. At the time he had been fixing a fridge when an acetylene bottle exploded.

"There was an enormous bang. I felt my hair and clothing burning," he said, adding that he crawled on hands and knees out of the flames.

His son came to his rescue and beat out the flames that were engulfing him. It was only then that Ackerman remembered there were two gas bottles near the fire.

He said he instinctively ran back into the fire dressed only in his underwear and slip-slop sandals to get the bottles out. "I just knew that if those bottles exploded..."

Once the bottles had been brought out, Ackerman, who is facilities manager at Media Park where Beeld is situated, staggered to his saltwater swimming pool to "cool down".

Had an out-of-body experience

Meanwhile, police on a routine patrol flight over the area saw the explosion, and called for help.

Ackerman was taken to 1 Military Hospital and admitted to the high-care unit.

"I sat in the pool for seven minutes and when the paramedics told me to get out my skin was hanging off in strips from my body."

At the hospital doctors diagnosed that he had 67% second- and third-degree burns.

Four days after he was admitted, Ackerman had an out-of-body experience.

He said that while he was in theatre for a skin graft, he left his body and viewed it and the doctors from above.

"I felt very close to God," he said.

A week after the explosion he developed a high fever and doctors feared for his life.

Ackerman said: "That day I saw a pure white light with the most beautiful colours inside - it was orange, light blue and yellow."

Two hours later, his temperature returned to normal and he began a miraculous recovery.

Ackerman was discharged on March 4 and has recovered enough to return to work.

"My life is now extremely valuable. All I can say is that I was in the presence of God and that I have changed radically."

- Beeld