ELY- An 80-year-old resident of the Boundary Waters Care Center tragically died here Monday afternoon after the motorized mobility scooter she was riding at the time caught fire.
A witness who spotted the blaze called 911, but the victim was reportedly “fully engulfed” in flames by the time staff from the care center were able remove her from the scooter. Emergency responders from the Ely police and fire departments arrived moments later and they transported the victim to Ely-Bloomenson Hospital. She was later airlifted to St. Mary’s in Duluth, where she died from the severe burns caused in the incident.
One care center employee who sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident was treated at Ely-Bloomenson and later released.
The fire is currently under joint investigation by the Ely Fire and Police Departments and the State Fire Marshal. The name of the victim had not been made public as of press time.