Party turns deadly as mysterious explosion kills man beside bonfire, Florida cops say

An explosion of unknown origin at an outdoor party killed a Florida man at approximately 4 a.m. on Memorial Day, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.

The victim was identified as 51-year-old Michael D. Riedinger of the DeLand area, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

It happened early Monday, May 30, outside a home in the 2900 block of 3rd Court near DeLand, officials said. The neighborhood of single-family homes is about 40 miles northeast of Orlando.

Investigators say Riedinger died at the scene after suffering “severe injuries that appeared to have been caused by an explosion.”

“Witnesses told deputies that Riedinger had gone from the patio area to tend to the bonfire around 3:30 a.m.,” the sheriff’s office said.

“One of the witnesses said he heard a loud hissing sound for several seconds. Another witness reported hearing a loud noise like something hitting the ground. When the witnesses went to check on Riedinger, they found him lying unresponsive near the fire with extensive injuries.”

Hissing sounds are often associated with fireworks taking flight, but investigators did not indicate fireworks were found at the scene.

“The initial sheriff’s office investigation did not identify any source of the apparent explosion, and the witnesses were not able to provide much information,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The Fire Marshal’s Office responded to conduct further investigation into the cause.”

This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Party turns deadly as mysterious explosion kills man beside bonfire, Florida cops say."