A home explosion in Austin injured six people and damaged at least 24 homes, and left Carol Schacherl’s home reduced to rubble.
AUSTIN, Texas — For one Austin family, Easter looked much different than they thought it would this year.
Just one week ago, a home explosion tore through a northwest Austin neighborhood, injuring six people and damaging at least 24 homes.
Among those impacted was Carol Schacherl, a next door neighbor whose home was completely reduced to rubble. Her son, David Schacherl, recalls the destruction.
“The roof caved in, walls were blown out, windows. I mean, just … her house is just destroyed,” Schacherl said.
Schacherl said his mother had been resting in bed when the explosion rocked her home, causing the roof to collapse on top of her. She was found buried beneath the debris and taken to a local hospital.
Carol Schacherl was left with multiple injuries, including fractures in her right arm, clavicle and ribs, along with facial lacerations.
Despite the devastation, David remains grateful.
“I’m glad that she’s still here and that, you know, our family didn’t shrink last Sunday,” David Schacherl said.
Carol has long been the guardian for her husband, who suffers from dementia and resides in a memory care facility. Schacherl said the unexpected financial strain caused by the explosion has placed an additional burden on the family.
“This is just now another layer to– another layer of care that will need to be provided for now for both my parents,” David said.
After spending several days in the intensive care unit, Schacherl said his mother is resilient and getting better everyday. He said she has been taken out of the ICU and is now speaking.
“It’s miraculous that everyone is safe,” David said. “Really, it’s just the loss of property and some hospitalization. But, in the face of that, the fact that everyone survived is just overwhelming.”
Schacherl said the community has come out to support his family through their GoFundMe. He said he is hopeful she will make a full recovery.