A New Mexico firefighter who was critically injured in a fireworks explosion last month returned home over the weekend.
Hoby Bonham was one of two Roswell firefighters who suffered severe burns June 5 while packaging fireworks for the city's Fourth of July celebration. Residents waving American flags greeted him with a procession Saturday after being released from a hospital in Lubbock, TX, KRQE-TV reports.
“Brings tears to you, gives you chills. It’s wonderful,” Bonham told the TV station.
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Thousands of dollars in donations had been raised to pay for Bonham's medical treatment, which included skin grafts. His recovery now will continue with at-home therapy.
“I’m beat, and I’ve got a lot of work on getting these grafts to where they’ll close in and stretch out, for lack of better words,” said Bonham, who added that he looked forward to seeing his two children when he got home.
Ten other Roswell firefighters suffered minor injuries in the explosion, which is still under investigation. Jeff Stroble remains in the hospital, recovering from his burns.
“Kind of sad to leave Jeff, but I know that he’s in great care over there,” Bonham told KRQE.
