They were trying to get an old pickup truck to work, but a father and son end up fighting flames.
Robert Dale Cowin, 79, and his son, Robert B. Cowin, 51, were working on their Chevrolet truck at a residence off Bahia Court Loop in Silver Springs Shores Thursday afternoon. The 79-year-old's hair caught on fire. The flames spread to his face, head, chest and back. His son tried to help put the flames out but his hands and arms also became ablaze.
Neighbors, Ramone Williams and Michael Kendrick were taking a stroll when they realized what was going on and rushed to help.
"My brother, Micheal told him to drop and roll on the ground and he didn't do that so we ran over to try to help him do that," Williams said. He also told WCJB that the fire appeared to have started from the bed of the truck and not the engine.
Marion County Fire Rescue arrived within minutes. They said the 79-year-old had what appeared to be at least second degree burns on almost one third of his body. According to the Marion County Fire Rescue, Cowin was air lifted to Shands Medical Center in Gainesville on trauma alert because of his age. His son suffered what appeared to be first degree burns. He was treated on site and drove himself to the hospital to be with his father.
Neighbors say the situation could have been even worse after noticing a gas can next to the truck.
The details of what exactly sparked the fire are not yet known.