Family continues healing process one year after tragic house explosion in rural Stanley County

MAY 21, 2024:

This weekend, it’ll be one year since two, separate, tragic accidents claimed the lives of four people with connections to Fort Pierre and Stanley County.

Friday (May 24, 2024) will be one year since liquefied petroleum gas migrating into the basement of a rural Stanley County home resulted in a blast that killed Kelsey and Trevor Hupp’s infant daughter, Harper (6 months), and both of Trevor’s parents, Bill (66) and LaDonna (61) from the Huron area. Trevor and Kelsey’s sons Myles and Royce– who were 5 and 3 years old at the time– were airlifted to a burn unit in St. Paul.

Three days later (May 27, 2024), 14 year old River Ray Ludemann was killed in a Jeep accident in the Off Road Vehicle area just south of the Oahe Dam. River’s parents, Shane and Jessica, were visiting the Hupps in St. Paul at the time.

In early June (June 8, 2023), Myles was released and Royce was released a few weeks later. At their two-month checkup in July (2023), Kelsey posted on their Caring Bridge page that both boys were healing well and Royce would have to wear a custom-made compression shirt for the next year to help minimize scarring from the burns.

Shortly thereafter, the healing journey for one of the boys changed dramatically. In a mid-October (Oct. 17, 2023) Caring Bridge page message, Kelsey revealed Myles’ had a follow up MRI for the “incidental finding on his cerebellum.” In subsequent posts, she said the brain tumor was not related to the explosion, but it was found early because of the checkups he was getting after the accident. The tumor was removed in early November (2023) and a pathology test showed it was brain cancer (Grade 4 Medulloblastoma).

Myles began radiation and chemotherapy treatment in early December, with those treatments spread out over the course of several months. Earlier this month (May 11, 2024), Kelsey’s Caring Bridge post said Myles had completed the first of three cycles of chemo. She said a complete brain and spine MRI showed no sign of re-occurrence or spread and he’s “handled all of his chemo rounds like a champ and continues to be positive and inspiring.”

Photo courtesy of Hupp family Caring Bridge page.

Photo courtesy of Hupp family Caring Bridge page.

AUGUST 16, 2023:

Investigators believe the cause of an explosion at a home south of Fort Pierre back in May (May 24, 2023) was liquefied petroleum gas migrating into the basement of the home.

The blast killed Kelsey and Trevor Hupp’s infant daughter, Harper (6 months), and both of Trevor’s parents, Bill (66) and LaDonna (61). Trevor and Kelsey’s sons, 5 year old Myles and 3 year old Royce, were airlifted to a burn unit in St. Paul. Myles was released in early June (June 8, 2023) and Royce was released a few weeks later.

A news release from the Stanley County Sheriff’s Office says the damaged piping and components of the LP gas delivery system are being examined and the investigation will continue, pending lab analysis. At this time, what ignited the gas remains undetermined. The incident has been ruled accidental.

The South Dakota State Fire Marshall’s Office along with the Division of Criminal Investigation, the Stanley County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Fort Pierre Volunteer Fire Department and several other agencies conducted an investigation into the cause of the explosion.

On their CaringBridge page, Kelsey said both boys had their two-month checkup at the end of July and are healing well. She says Royce will have to wear a custom-made compression shirt for the next year to help minimize scarring.

Financial donations for the Hupp family can be deposited at any First Dakota National Bank location. Information about various benefits being held for the family can be found on the Hupp Family Support Hub page on Facebook. There’s also a GoFundMe page set up for the family.

JULY 7, 2023:

The Hupp Cupp benefit golf tournament will be held tomorrow (July 8, 2023) at Broadland Creek Golf Course in Huron and at the Huron Country Club.

The event is a fundraiser for Kelsey and Trevor Hupp whose home southeast of Fort Pierre exploded on May 24, 2023. The blast killed Kelsey and Trevor Hupp’s infant daughter, Harper (6 months), and both of Trevor’s parents, Bill (66) and LaDonna (61). The explosion also caused severe burn injuries to their two sons, Myles (5) and Royce (3). A June 29, 2023, post from Kelsey on the boys’ Caring Bridge page says Royce was released from the burn center in Minneapolis and the family was back in South Dakota. Myles was released June 8.

Hupp Cupp co-organizer Ben Nelson said the event came together with help from Trevor’s classmates and other friends wanting to help the family.

Nelson said interest for the Hupp Cupp day of activities comes from a wide area.

Nelson hopes the day will be a great show of support for the Hupp family.

Silent auction items can be previewed on the The Hupp Cupp Facebook page.

Financial donations for the Hupp family can be deposited at any First Dakota National Bank location. Information about various benefits being held for the family can be found on the Hupp Family Support Hub page on Facebook. There’s also a GoFundMe page set up for the family.

(News partner KOKK contributed to this story.)

JUNE 9, 2023:

A silent auction, corn hole tournament and burger feed fundraiser benefiting the Kelsey and Trevor Hupp and River Ludemann families of rural Fort Pierre is being held tomorrow (June 10, 2023) at Tiger’s Tap in Fort Pierre.

Bristol Nielsen, owner of Masterpiece One Stop Smoke Shop, is one of the organizers. He mentions a few of the silent auction items they have for people to bid on.

Nielsen says activities start at noon and continue until 7pm.

A benefit auction for the Hupp family is also being held tomorrow at Philip Livestock Auction in Philip. There will be a meal and live auction from 11am-2pm.

A home explosion last month (May 24, 2023), killed Kelsey and Trevor Hupp’s infant daughter, Harper (6 months), and both of Trevor’s parents, Bill (66) and LaDonna (61). Their sons, 5 year old Myles and 3 year old Royce were severely burned and were taken to a burn center in St. Paul for treatment.

Three days later (May 27, 2023), 14 year old River Ray Ludemann was killed in a Jeep accident in the Off Road Vehicle area just south of the Oahe Dam. River’s parents, Shane and Jessica, were visiting the Hupps in St. Paul at the time.

To find details about all of the various benefits being held for the Hupp family, follow the Hupp Family Support Hub page on Facebook. Financial donations for the Hupp family can be deposited at any First Dakota National Bank location or through a GoFundMe page.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but foul play is not suspected.

JUNE 1, 2023:

The mother of two boys injured in a home explosion southeast of Fort Pierre last week (May 24, 2023) says the boys are making positive progress.

On their CaringBridge page, Kelsey Hupp said 5 year old Myles has been “very alert.” She said doctors were going to switch up some medications, hopefully allowing them to take his tube out.

Kelsey says the pulmonary doctor was very happy with how both of 3 year old Royce’s lungs looked yesterday (May 31, 2023); they are just inflamed from the impact. She said they suctioned a lot of thick mucus out, then washed his lungs with water to help loosen up “the junk in there.”

Last week’s blast killed Kelsey and Trevor Hupp’s infant daughter, Harper (6 months), and both of Trevor’s parents, Bill (66) and LaDonna (61). This was the first of two tragic accidents last week in the Fort Pierre area.

Saturday night (May 27, 2023), 14 year old River Ray Ludemann was in a Jeep when an accident happened in the Off Road Vehicle area just south of the Oahe Dam. He was transported by AMR ambulance to the hospital in Pierre, where he succumbed to his injuries.

River’s parents, Shane and Jessica, were visiting the Hupps in St. Paul at the time. Kelsey Hupp paid tribute to River on Myles and Royce’s CaringBridge page saying she continues “to think of my River Ray every day and I’m so glad that Harper has a big brother to forever protect her in heaven. We miss her fiercely every second and with every breath that we take.”

Visitation for River will be on Monday (June 5, 2023) from 1-3pm CT at the Stanley County Fairgrounds in Fort Pierre. The funeral service will begin at 3pm. On a GoFundMe account set up for the family, River’s mom Jessica said “please don’t wear sad clothing. He loved clothes so wear your hats. Do not take them off.”

Financial donations for the Hupp family can be deposited at any First Dakota National Bank location. There’s also a Hupp Family Support Hub page on Facebook and a GoFundMe page. The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but foul play is not suspected.

Some clean up had been done at the location of the Hupp family home southeast of Fort Pierre May 28, 2023.
Photo credit Jody Heemstra, DRG Media Group.

Some clean up had been done at the location of the Hupp family home southeast of Fort Pierre May 28, 2023.
Photo credit Jody Heemstra, DRG Media Group.

Some clean up had been done at the location of the Hupp family home southeast of Fort Pierre May 28, 2023.
Photo credit Jody Heemstra, DRG Media Group.

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MAY 26, 2023, NOON UPDATE:

Times of tragedy can bring out the best in people as they act quickly to provide support for those coping with the situation. Unfortunately, equally as quick to activate are scammers trying to take advantage of the situation and people’s desire to help.

Jessie Schmidt is with the Better Business Bureau in South Dakota. She urges people wanting to help the Hupp family of rural Fort Pierre to donate with an entity they are familiar with.

A Wednesday morning (May 24, 2023) blast killed Kelsey and Trevor Hupp’s 6 month old daughter Harper and Trevor’s parents, Bill and LaDonna. Trevor and Kelsey’s sons, 5 year old Myles and 3 year old Royce, were airlifted to a burn unit in St. Paul.

Schmidt says people should be cautious of scam artists masquerading as a fundraising organization. She says double check any website links or other offers claiming to raise money for the family to be sure the link you see is legit.

Schmidt says fraudsters may also try to deceive you through direct messaging claiming to be raising funds for the family.

MAY 26, 2023, UPDATE:

The mother of two boys injured in a home explosion southeast of Fort Pierre earlier this week (May 24, 2023) says the boys are in stable condition at a burn center in St. Paul and are making positive progress.

On their CaringBridge page, Kelsey Hupp says doctors updated 3 year old Royce’s burns to being on 36% of his body, but are VERY optimistic that he could heal most of these on his own, without grafts. She says there may be one or two areas that require that, but it would be in a week. She says, “Not only does the kid wiggle all the time he continues to wiggle when he is sedated.”

Kelsey says 5 year old Myles’ burns are all superficial, at this point. She says he’s off of one of his sedation medications, can hear them talking and is responding to questions. She says doctors will slowly wean down his sedation and do some trial breathing off the ventilator.

The Wednesday blast killed Kelsey and Trevor Hupp’s infant daughter, Harper (6 months), and both of Trevor’s parents, Bill (66) and LaDonna (61).

A fund for the Hupp family has been set up at First Dakota National Bank. Donations can be made at any location.

There’s also a GoFundMe page set up for the family.

Authorities said earlier this week that the cause of the explosion is under investigation, but at this point foul play is not suspected.

MAY 25, 2023, NOON UPDATE:

A fund for a rural Fort Pierre family devastated by the loss of three family members in a home explosion yesterday (May 24, 2023) has been set up at First Dakota National Bank.

The blast killed Kelsey and Trevor Hupp’s infant daughter, Harper (6 months), and both of Trevor’s parents, Bill (66) and LaDonna (61). Trevor and Kelsey’s sons, 5 year old Myles and 3 year old Royce, were airlifted to a burn unit in St. Paul.

While Trevor worked at the Pierre location, donations to the Hupp family can be made at any First Dakota National Bank. The bank says donations of food, clothing and other items can be dropped off at Maier Meats-The Hangout (102 Deadwood Street) in Fort Pierre.

There’s also a GoFundMe page set up for the family. At noon the account balance was over $260,000.

Kelsey provided an update on the CaringBridge page this morning (May 25, 2023). She said Myles has burns on 10% of his body, mainly 1st and 2nd degree, and is in stable condition. Royce has 25% of his body burned and more severe 3rd degree burns on his chest and arms.

Stanley County Sheriff Brad Rathbun said yesterday that the cause of the explosion is under investigation, but at this point foul play is not suspected.

MAY 25, 2023, 8am UPDATE:

A CaringBridge page has been created to share the progress of the two children burned in a home explosion yesterday (May 24, 2023) along Highway 1806 southeast of Fort Pierre.

Kelsey and Trevor Hupp were at work when the explosion occurred. The blast killed Kelsey and Trevor Hupp’s infant daughter, Harper (6 months), and both of Trevor’s parents, Bill (66) and LaDonna (61). Trevor and Kelsey’s sons, 5 year old Myles and 3 year old Royce, were airlifted to a burn unit in St. Paul.

Kelsey provided an update on the CaringBridge page this morning (May 25, 2023). Myles has burns on 10% of his body, mainly 1st and 2nd degree, and is in stable condition. She said Royce has 25% of his body burned and more severe 3rd degrees on his chest and arms.

The blast also completely leveled their home.

A GoFundMe account has also been established for the Hupp family.

Kelsey’s entire CaringBridge post from early today is below.

“I don’t even know where to start. But I know everyone is praying for our little family and we want people to know what’s going on, so they can continue to pray. We made it to Regions in St. Paul at their burn center. It was a long afternoon and night. But both boys were cleared through trauma and got all the necessary things started. They have a great team of doctors, APPs, nurses and techs on board. They haven’t left our side. Myles has burns on 10% of his body, mainly 1st and 2nd degree. He is intubated. He squeezes my hand and wiggles his toes. He even fought sedation one time and sat up and looked around. He is stable. Roycey boy has 25% of his body burned and more severe 3rd degrees on his chest and arms. He is also intubated and will be longer than Myles. Not to be out done he also woke up from sedation wild eyed, which is in true Royce fashion. I’ve been tickling his cute fat toes and he wiggles them for me too. The boys have a long road ahead of them, but we are just so thankful that we even have this road with them. They are strong and will persevere. I will do my best to update as I can because I know everyone cares. Please don’t stop praying. I’m going to need every ounce I can get to continue. We love our family, friends and community so much.”

MAY 25, 2023:

A fundraising account set up for a rural Fort Pierre family who lost three family members and their home in an explosion yesterday (May 24, 2023) has raised over $150-thousand in less than 12 hours.

As of 8:30 this morning, a GoFundMe page set up for the Trevor and Kelsey Hupp family had a balance of more than $190-thousand.

According to the fundraising site, Kelsey and Trevor were at work when the explosion occurred at their home along Highway 1806 in the Antelope Creek area southeast of Fort Pierre. The blast killed Kelsey and Trevor Hupp’s infant daughter, Harper (6 months), and both of Trevor’s parents, Bill (66) and LaDonna (61). Trevor and Kelsey’s sons, 5 year old Myles and 3 year old Royce, were airlifted to a burn unit in St. Paul. A CaringBridge page has been set up to to share updates on the boys’ progress.

The blast also completely leveled their home.

Stanley County Sheriff Brad Rathbun said yesterday that the cause of the explosion is under investigation, but at this point foul play is not suspected.

MAY 24, 2023, 4:15pm UPDATE:

DRG Media Group has received unconfirmed reports of a house explosion late this morning (May 24, 2023) southeast of Fort Pierre on Highway 1806 in the Antelope Creek area.

Stanley County Sheriff Brad Rathbun confirmed to KELOLAND’s Bob Mercer that at least one adult died in the explosion. Mercer says three other people were taken to Avera St. Mary’s in Pierre, including a man and two children.

Mercer reported the house is flattened and the explosion sent debris flying 50 to 100 yards in all directions. The only thing left standing is some children’s playground equipment.

Rathbun says at this point, the cause is unknown. Foul play is not suspected but fire investigators are still looking into the cause.

(Some information in this story was provided by, and used with the permission of, KELOLAND.)

MAY 24, 2023, 3:35pm UPDATE:

DRG Media Group is still waiting to hear from officials regarding a home explosion late this morning (May 24, 2023) southeast of Fort Pierre on Highway 1806. Updated information for the media says the Stanley County Sheriff’s Office will be providing details about the incident.

UNCONFIRMED reports say there were multiple fatalities.

Submitted photo.

Submitted photo.

Submitted photo.

MAY 24, 2023, 3pm UPDATE:

DRG Media Group is still waiting to hear from officials regarding a home explosion late this morning (May 24, 2023) southeast of Fort Pierre on Highway 1806. The Stanley County Sheriff’s Office has directed us to call the South Dakota Fire Marshal’s Office for information about the incident. UNCONFIRMED reports say there were multiple fatalities.

MAY 24, 2023:

DRG Media Group has received unconfirmed reports of emergency responders from Pierre, Fort Pierre, Hughes and Stanley counties on scene of a house explosion south of Fort Pierre.

Further details will be forthcoming.