I took the medic call, and I don't want to take another like it again ever. I'd write about the details, but there is an investigation ongoing with potential charges pending. The boy was pretty much dead at the scene but CPR was performed for almost an hour after arriving in the ER.

http://www.theolympian.com/377/story/154319.html

Darwin revisited but for wrong person!

They need to find that "patriot wanna be" and make an example out of him. That's why I have learn to steer clear of the many farm animals that are out on holidays. For me, it's aways a pleasure to to see them back to thier normal distractions the next day that follows a holiday. I then relax a bit, without as much risk of being a victim of becoming the calateral damage of a drunk and intoxicated flag waving idiots with gun powder to burn at random. Taking friendly fire for the Red, White, and Blue is not what I choose to do on the 4th or any other day.

BOOM!!!! Was that somebody's a%ss on fire?

That's terrible. I've seen my share of 4th of July accidents. About 8 years ago i watched my neighbor's house burn to the ground because their kids accidently shot a bottle-rocket into the closed porch where $1000+ worth of fireworks were stored. The whole place was up in flames within' 5 minutes.

Last night we watched a big fire when some fireworks caught some waterfront trees on fire across the bay from us near Lemola. They were fortunate to put it out before it caught nearby houses on fire.

On a different note: We watched 4 different pleasure boaters run a ground around low-tide yesterday in front of our house. I was cracking up. The line between having enough money to own a boat and being smart enough to own it was clearly visible from my deck.

It was the kids grandpa. He made an example out of himself already.

I can't imagine anything worse for that grandparent. He'll be dead in a year - either by suicide, or by grief.

Ok, I would be.

Definately a fate worse than death, being responcible for the death of your kid or grandkid. Can you imagine backing over your own child in the driveway and living with that the rest of your life? I can't, and it happens to people regularly.

The family wandered in and out of the room in a quiet dazed look. It was hard to not watch them. Worked hard to give them as much privacy as they needed. Although while taking report on the radio from another paramedic, I got distracted by a conversation I couldn't hear. I looked up and through the acrylic glass, I could see the parents backs. The MD was talking, and using his hands. And though I couldn't hear a word, I could tell by how he was pointing to his own eyes (pupils fixed, unreactive), his ear (another test for brain function), and how he shook his head sideways without thinking, he was telling them their child was dead.

The medics that brought him in did a good job from what I saw. If there is any chance of survival, the local paramedics will shelter those last embers of life.

With a pediatric arrest, the nurses do not go "through the motions" regardless of how unviable the situation is. At least for me, until the MD says stop, the emotional parts of the mind whisper in the voice of spirits, a prayer for miracles. I didn't work the arrest. That was the burden of another group of RN's. And when it was over, and the flow of patients resumed, someone complained about the wait. The reply is standard, "We've been busy."

My boss lives about 1/2 mile from them and heard the sirens. It is a F'n tragedy.

From my brother in law that was on the call, it was'nt just a random drunk fest tragedy. They had cleared a 100ft. radius around the cannon to be"safe" and tryed to keep everyone away.
Pieces of cannon were found 200ft from explosion. One of the firefighters I know lost his son 2yrs ago in an accident and after talking to him I'm pretty sure he is going through the grief again after seeing the family. After working in the fire/emergency medicine field for close to 20 years the only thing I can tell you is when its your time, its your time. live every day like its your last.

That is unquestionably the worst example of what could happen. I am sure that was horrific and the family must be crushed. Now I am not exactly one of those flag waving drunken idiots, but I do have a cannon and every 4th of July we shoot it half a dozen times. This is an operation that is treated with respect, I have seen operators that increase the powder charge as the evening "progresses" which is a recipe for disaster. I suspect that the cannon that exploded was cast iron and shouldn't have been used at all. Mine is cast steel and another that was cast at the same time has been put through testing. The cup pressure generated by the black powder charge doesn't meet the tolerance level by even half.
I am responding one to offer my condolences and secondly to find out more specifics about how this happened in an effort to prevent other occurances.

I worked the 4th also. Battalion Chief in the south end of Seattle. Was a pretty normal day until around 9 pm. I was out of quarters on a brush fire with two engines when I heard a short report from an engine company responding to a house fire. It was from a fairly seasoned Captain and it went something like this " We are in the area, Downtown Bagdad, Explosions, Fire, Smoke and we are no where near the location of the house fire. Taking friendly fire, send PD.

The house fire was contained to the building of origin. Fortunately no one was injured. I often wonder why people ask why do we ban fireworks. I just shake my head and say we have to protect the innocent ones.

I think I'll take the next 4th of July off.

...but there is suspicion that there was more than just a powder charge in the barrel. I think that part is clearly public knowledge. I know more, but I don't comment on anything relating to individuals that's not already a matter of public record.

I see alot of stupid stuff, but the impression I got was that this accident falls along the lines of stupid stuff that half the testosterone driven guys on this board might have tried. Reference the other fireworks thread, and all the mentions of 'homemade' fireworks.

I bet whoever lit the fuse was overly familiar with that canon. Probably had done something similar in the past. Not really making a joke of this, but anytime a person says "Dude it's ok. I've done this like a hundred times." It's time to walk away.

VHawk I appreciate your professionalism and respect your obligation for privacy. However, since I am not in the area if something is made public I would still be interested.

Thanks
Jody

Why, oh why do overage but immature guys feel such a need????

What Parker said

Between this story and the little girl that got her insides sucked out in the swimming pool it has been a bad week for news stories.