Andrew Dale: Batemans Bay food truck owner hospitalised following explosion

Canberra man, community fighter and a Batemans Bay food truck owner has been hospitalised with burns to his body, after an explosion inside his food van.

Andrew Dale was known around the south coast community for his food truck and his helping the community following the fires.

The owner of a south coast food truck has labelled himself the “luckiest person alive” after he managed to walk away with nothing more than burns following an explosion in his food van.

Batemans Bay food truck ‘The Lost Thong’ owner and Canberra man Andrew Dale was flown to Sydney’s Concord Hospital after the explosion on Sunday at 11.15am.

The incident has left Mr Dale with burns to his body.

Mr Dale became known in both the Batemans Bay and Canberra communities for his food trucks and help during the Black Summer Fires and South Coast floods, which saw him donate clothes, food and machinery to families and businesses.

The Lost Thong food truck – which usually sits at the Hanging Rock Oval in Batemans Bay – has been destroyed leading to Mr Dale to announce his retirement.

“I have now officially retired from food vans and food trucks,” he said on social media.

“I’m grateful that I got to walk away today.”

Speaking on the explosion, Mr Dale said he was at the front counter writing up the menu board when he heard a “bang”.

The explosion occurred on Sunday morning.

“There was an explosion that I thought deafened me in my right ear,” he said.

“I can’t believe I walked out of it. No cuts, no blood, but a number of burns and a fair bit of singed hair – fortunately, not the hair on my back.”

Mr Dale was the only person injured in the incident and was taken to Batemans Bay Hospital before being flown to Sydney.

“Three to four doctors have dropped in for a once over but I won’t know exactly what’s going on until the ENT folk and the intensive care folk come and have a look,” he said.

The explosion has left Andrew Dale in a Sydney hospital.

“But somehow, the consensus is that no skin grafting is required and people tend to think I didn’t suffer any internal burns. I’m the luckiest person alive.”

The Batemans Bay community has responded lovingly to the food truck owner, with family friend Jess Zivkovic starting a GoFundMe to help the Dale family during this time.

“While his family are arranging everything else that Andrew needs, I thought I would start this GoFundMe to help Andrew get back to where he needs to be and whatever comes in between,” she said.

Ms Zivkovic said she wanted to help the man who had helped so many.

“Andrew rallied behind the devastating 2019-2020 NSW fires and bought hope, peace, joy, food, clothes, courage and so much more to people that lost everything but the clothes on their backs,” she said.

The GoFundMe has raised more than $3000 in less than 24 hours.

Mr Dale thanked the community for their support and messages following the incident.

“I can’t figure out how I had so much luck [walking away],” he said.

“The amount of luck I’ve been given today is out of this world.”