Long Island man loses arm while lighting fireworks

WABC-TV ^ | July 3, 2010

[ConservativeStatement]

ISLIP TERRACE, New York (WABC) -- Police say a Suffolk County man is in the hospital after losing his arm while trying to light fireworks.

The incident happened in Islip Terrace on Long Island. Police say 36-year-old Eric Smith was leaning over to light a firework, but was unable to get out of the way in time when the mortar blew off his left arm.

Family members, who were there for a July 4th celebration, quickly grabbed the arm and put it in a cooler.

[Montanabound]

I loved “Follow My Leader”. If I remember correctly, the boy got his sight back and had to return the seeing eye dog, Leader. A real tear-jerker.

[Dayman]

The guy didn’t have muzzle awareness. If he had kept his arm out of the line of fire he would still have 2 of them. At least he wasn’t playing with a cannon.

[sig226]

I think you can get two inch mortars in Pennsylvania, which are the max legal size without the ATFE explosives permit. It might be three inch.

Whichever it is, they’re pretty tame compared to the pro stuff. It sounds like this guy got hold of some stuff that was much more powerful than his mommy let him play with when he was a kid.

[fml]

Sounds great - Happy 4th.

We are rookies with only about $250 worth :)

[moose-matson]

There's Long Island and then there's Long Island. I've lived here almost sixty years and could dissect it town by town. There are many more quality places than not.

The state goes dim every presidential cycle but that's because of NYC. LI is almost always split nearly 55/45. There are a lot of good conservatives here...we're just out-numbered.