A hunter died who suffered severe burns when his portable heater exploded died Thursday in a Lehigh Valley hospital.
Joseph Purta, 77, of Wurtsboro, New York suffered 3rd-degree burns when the portable propane heater he was using while sitting inside a ground hunting blind in woods off Ridge Road in Westtown, New York exploded on Nov. 23 around 2:25 p.m., said Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim.
After the blast, a medical helicopter carried Purta to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest for treatment. Purta died at the hospital Thursday morning, said the coroner.
The coroner ruled the cause of death accidental.
