Explosion Kills Woman and Horse

A 28-year-old woman and a horse were killed and a second woman was injured Friday in a hyperbaric chamber explosion at the Ocala, Fla., division of the Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center.

The explosion caused a partial collapse of the facility, including the area containing the hyperbaric chamber. Hazmat crews were also called to the scene.

Investigators said the horse inside the room, which was filled with pure oxygen under pressure, began kicking with its steel shoes to get out. The horse kicked through the padding of the room to the metal walls creating a spark that caused the explosion.

Two employees were running the chamber from outside and couldn't get to an emergency switch in time.

Erica Marshall, who had worked at the facility for approximately two years was killed.

Another woman, Sorcha Moneley, survived the blast, but was thrown across the facility.