Roosters coach Trent Robinson and his wife are recovering at home after being airlifted to hospital after a gas bottle explosion in the Hunter Valley.
Robinson and his wife, Sandra, were cooking dinner on Monday night on the property of former rugby league administrator John Quayle when the incident occurred.
“We were just having a barbecue and about an hour after we’d eaten, a gas smell was there,” Quayle told this masthead.
“Trent checked the knob, the knob ignited and it went off. They are both OK. Naturally, triple-O was called and they were very good. We’re in a pretty secluded area, the ambulances came straight away.
“They were treated straight away with cold water and cold showers while the ambulance attendants treated them. To make sure everything was correct, a helicopter [was summoned].
“They were taken to Josh Hunter for a precautionary examination. Sandra was kept overnight, Trent was kept for two nights. They are both home now, they are OK and that’s the most important thing.”
Roosters coach Trent Robinson.Credit: NRL Photos
The Robinson and Quayle families are close and they occasionally catch up on the latter’s property.
“Every now and then they come up with their children,” Quayle said.
“It was very innocent, [Trent] relaxing after a long year in the country.
“The services were so good, from the ambulance to rescue to the hospital. To see that reaction at a rural property was really first class. We are certainly happy about that.”
News of the incident came as a shock to Roosters officials, many of whom had gathered to celebrate their NRLW’s premiership triumph at a presentation night on Thursday night.
“Trent, naturally being Trent, didn’t want any fuss or anything said about it, which is understandable,” Quayle said.
“He didn’t want anyone concerned, which is why he probably said nothing to date.”
Quayle and his wife were not injured, although both have been shaken by the incident. Robinson and his wife suffered burns to their arms and showered in cold water immediately.
“Around 9.30pm, on Monday 7 October, a Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked by NSW Ambulance to a gas barbecue explosion at Dalswinton, near Denman in the Hunter Valley,” a Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service statement said.
“A woman and a man, both in their 40s, were treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics and the helicopter’s critical care medical team for burns before being transported to John Hunter Hospital.”
Robinson, who has won three premierships with the Roosters, oversaw the club’s run to the preliminary final this season.
