Body Of Joe Vigilante Recovered Following Bensalem Gas Station Explosion
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BENSALEM, Pa. (CBS) -- The body of a man trapped underground has been recovered following a gas station explosion in Bensalem on Tuesday.
The underground blast happened around 5 p.m. at the Liberty gas station on Bristol Pike.
Investigators say Joe Vigilante, who was the co-owner of the gas station and another worker, 63-year-old Frank Tomasiello, were cleaning a vault, removing water from it, when an explosion occurred.
"Eight thousand gallons of fuel is what was delivered two days ago," said Bensalem Director of Public Safety Fred Harran.
Tomasiello managed to escape alive, but suffered burns on more than 45 percent of his body.
The blast left Vigilante trapped in an underground vault surrounded by rubble and gasoline.
"A lot of the police officers who were working and firefighters that worked on this scene knew him personally and it's very hard," said Harran.
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As Wednesday arrived, the rescue mission became a recovery operation.
After roughly 27 hours, crews recovered Vigilante's body around 7 p.m.
Vigilante was in his mid-60s, according to police and his well-known service center recently celebrated over 40 years in business.
"These are true community Americans, this is what our country is about this kind of family," Harran said. "Tomorrow the sun will come up and we will start a new day and we will start healing and life will have to go on."
Harran says Tomasiello remains in critical but stable condition.
Shirley Coats, Tomasiello's longtime partner, says she's simply glad he's alive.
"He has no hair. All of his hair is burned off, and they have a breathing tube down his mouth right now," said Coats. "At least he's alive."
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ATF officials are on the scene assisting in the investigation, as are members of the Department of Environmental Protection, since it's unclear whether any fuel has leaked into the ground.
There is no word yet on what caused the explosion.
