Man ‘engulfed in fireball’ after gin distillery explosion left him in a coma
Leigh Taylor, 45, was working at a distillery in Workington, Cumbria, when a container over-pressurised and exploded, engulfing him in a fireball — he spent five weeks in a coma
Leigh was distilling a new spirit in the brewery where he worked(Image: Leigh Taylor / SWNS)
A man was left battling for his life in a coma after being “engulfed in a fireball” during a gin distillery explosion. Leigh Taylor, 45, was concocting a new spirit at the brewery where he worked when the container over-pressurised and exploded, ripping the roof off the building.
The father-of-two was swallowed by flames – his face, hands and legs severely burnt by the inferno – and was rushed to hospital where he spent five weeks in a coma. He “died for eight minutes” following a cardiac arrest while comatose three weeks post-accident, but was fortunately resuscitated by doctors.
Leigh, who resides in the Lake District in Cumbria, had skin from his back grafted onto his hands and legs. It took months for his airways to recover as he had inhaled fire during the incident, leaving his system scarred and vulnerable to chest infections and pneumonia.
Despite an agonising recovery process, Leigh is now healed and well, describing his survival as “a miracle” – a sentiment echoed by the doctors and surgeons who treated him. Two years on, Leigh is fundraising in support of Great North Air Ambulance and the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, believing his survival must have been for “a purpose”.
Leigh, currently not working due to his long-term illness, said: “I was engulfed in a fireball. I remember being pulled out of the rubble, conscious, and I saw the skin on my hands was melted and hanging off.
“I heard sirens and I could feel myself slipping away – like in this liminal space between life and death – then I woke up from my coma five weeks later. In recovery, the pain was unlike anything I’ve ever had in my life before.
“I really struggled afterwards with the purpose of my survival. There was no logical reason for me to have survived. People say I’m lucky to be alive – yes, there’s an element of luck to me surviving, but would you really call what happened lucky? What it is, is a miracle.”
Leigh, who was employed at a brewery in Workington, Cumbria, was testing some new distilling equipment. Despite being a seasoned distiller, for unclear reasons, on May 13, 2024, the vessel over-pressurised and detonated, while Leigh was standing directly next to it.
He was hurled across the room in a ball of flames and was air-lifted to Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, where he was placed into a coma for his survival.
He said: “I was in pain but the shock took over more. The vision of my burnt hands had me screaming in shock, and I could smell it too. The skin was hanging off, like in horror films. As far as I was aware, it was game over for me.”
Three weeks into his five-week coma, Leigh suffered a cardiac arrest and his heart stopped for eight minutes, and he was administered two doses of adrenaline to restart it. He underwent some skin grafts on his hands while he was in the coma, but his legs were grafted after he regained consciousness, using skin from his back and torso. He said: “The pain on the donor sites was like nothing else. I’ll never forget it.”
He was discharged to recuperate at He returned home, heavily bandaged, in July 2024, with frequent nurse and hospital visits as his burns healed. Thanks to the mask applied to his face by the air ambulance team, there was no need for a skin graft on his face and he recovered well.
He said: “There was no damage to my vision, but at one stage it was thought I might have lost my sight.”
Leigh had to undergo a lengthy process of relearning how to walk and move normally again, and required minor surgery to correct some contracture on one hand. However, once physically healed, he grappled with his mental health as he faced a series of issues related to his airways and breathing due to internal scarring from the fire, and he continues to deal with ongoing complications.
Leigh wrestled with the concept of his “purpose” after surviving – and was resolute in making the most of his second chance.
