Influencer Dominique Elissa's Near‑Death Ordeal After Backyard Sauna Explodes
- Jun 16
- 4 min read
16 June 2025
On a seemingly idyllic night at a retreat home thirty minutes outside Byron Bay, Australian wellness influencer and podcast host Dominique Elissa experienced a horror‑movie‑style incident that nearly claimed her life. Dominique, 30, had just finished preparing dinner when she lit the sauna for her post‑meal ritual at the remote property. Moments later, what was intended to be a time of relaxation turned into a scene of fear and destruction.
That evening, fledgling darkness had settled across the rural landscape. Dominique was in the kitchen, having cooked and seated for her meal. Like most evenings, she had switched on the sauna to warm up, planning to unwind after dinner. As she collected her things and moved toward the changing room, a deafening "boom" shattered the calm. The sauna detonated outward, its metal and wooden components blasting apart, sending debris soaring up to 35 feet into the air. The force ruptured nearby electrical lines, plunging the house into darkness.
“I was just finishing dinner and about to put my swimmers on when I heard the explosion,” Dominique later recounted in a TikTok video that has since drawn over 80,000 views. “I looked up and the entire sauna exploded.” What followed felt surreal. The power was gone. Her phone, already low on battery, teetered on the brink of death, and worst of all, she had no cell reception. Alone in the wilderness, with burning wreckage behind her, Dominique feared the worst: that no one would hear her cries.
She screamed for help, pounded on doors, and urgently dialed Triple‑0 as the house continued to pitch black. Nearby walls trembled. The outdoor sauna had been utterly destroyed by the inferno. All Dominique could do was press on her instinct to survive stronger than ever.
In her personal revelation, Dominique described the experience as “like a horror movie.” The scene haunted her: flickers of flame, the sizzling heat, the acrid smoke, and the deafening silence that followed. She described standing there, still in cooking clothes, horrified as the sauna burned to ashes just minutes before she was to step inside. “I’m so grateful to be alive, so grateful to be here,” she said, her voice steady but shaken.
Dominique’s story struck a chord online. Fans quickly flooded her page with support and concern. “This is straight‑out‑of‑a Final Destination movie,” one follower commented. “OMG I’m never going in a sauna again,” wrote another. Many followers were equally moved by the fact that the sauna exploded mere minutes before her routine. “Your mum was definitely watching over you,” wrote several. This took on added poignancy: Dominique’s mother, Odile Faludi, had passed away just three months earlier after a battle with stage‑four cancer and the timing felt miraculous to some.
The incident, though uncommon, is not without precedent. Experts explain that sauna explosions stem from a mix of potential faults: heater malfunctions, electrical wiring issues, inadequate clearance between heater and timber walls, and the risk of flammable items near the unit. In saunas that employ hot stones, water trapped within cavities can rapidly vaporize, causing explosive force. Combined with modern, enhanced heating systems, these variables can turn a peaceful sauna into a dangerous environment and Australian regulatory standards, especially in older backyard installations, may not keep pace with evolving device complexity.
Dominique’s explosive disclosure arrived at a time when her influence was burgeoning. She had established herself as an up‑and‑coming wellness voice, attracting audiences with her insight into self‑care, mental health, and holistic living. The Brahmin Bay retreat had been scheduled as both a personal escape and a setting for retreat‑style content. Instead, it became the setting for a story that reaffirmed the fragility and value of life.
Since sharing her account, Dominique has used her platform not for sensationalism, but for reflection and gratitude. She emphasized that she is showered daily with messages of compassion and thanks for sharing her experience. She urged followers to remain cautious around heat‑based appliances and to take safety protocols seriously.
In her Instagram caption accompanying the TikTok, she wrote: “I didn’t think I’d ever talk about this ... Mum was definitely making sure I didn’t get in that sauna.” The emotive acknowledgment of her late mother underscored the personal significance of the incident and added emotional depth to her message.
This dramatic brush with mortality serves as a vivid reminder that influencers, despite their curated image online, are not immune to danger and sometimes have to rely on instinct and resilience to survive accidental crises. Dominique’s ordeal also speaks to the influence of modern wellness culture, where images of self‑care rituals can conceal hidden risks. Her story urges both creators and readers to rethink how safety intersects with lifestyle content.
In the aftermath, Dominique has signaled her intention to return to wellness coaching and content creation but with a new, informed caution. She has shared tips on first‑aid kits, emergency preparations, and ensuring electrical compliance in unfamiliar properties. What began as a horror‑film‑style event has transformed into both a cautionary tale and a celebration of escape routes, those split‑second decisions that kept one influencer alive.
In a digital age wherein influencers convey perfected routines, Dominique’s experience reminds us that life is anything but predictable. And while the allure of a sauna may be timeless, a story like hers is a modern parable: even paradise can explode in an instant.
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