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Man In Critical Condition After Explosion At DE ‘Punkin Chunkin’ Contest
CBS3Philly ^ | November 6, 2016 4:01 PM

Posted on 11/06/2016 3:46:26 PM PST by BenLurkin

BRIDGEVILLE, DE (CBS) — Police in Delaware are investigating an explosion at a “Punkin Chunkin” contest in Bridgeville, Delaware that sent a man to the hospital in critical condition.

“Punkin Chunkin” is a contest where teams compete to see who can chuck pumpkins the greatest distance across a field using a catapult or other mechanical device. Investigators say the explosion today involved an apparatus being used in the contest. It happened around 2:45 p.m. at the event held on Apple Tree Road.

Delaware State Troopers say the man was removed from the scene and transported to the hospital in critical condition.

No other injuries have been reported at this time.


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: donttrythisathome; holdmuhbeer

1 posted on 11/06/2016 3:46:26 PM PST by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

Dear Lord. Prayers for this man.


2 posted on 11/06/2016 3:48:07 PM PST by freepertoo
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To: freepertoo; All

Details at this link:
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2016/11/06/injury-punkin-chunkin-sends-one-hospital/93394698/


3 posted on 11/06/2016 3:51:27 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

Those things are amazing prayers up


4 posted on 11/06/2016 3:53:12 PM PST by al baby (Hi Mom Its a Joke friends)
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To: BenLurkin

Some of those pumpkin cannons use high pressure air. A tank could have blown up or something.

https://youtu.be/hPKATxid6F0


5 posted on 11/06/2016 3:53:35 PM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: BenLurkin
Use of combustion is not allowed -- i.e. they can't use a cannon with gunpowder.

However, certain classes use compressed air. If a tank ruptured, flying debris could seriously injure people nearby.

Some of the classes use centripetal force, and a spinning mechanical device could fly apart.

Finally, there are classes that use stretched bands (ropes, etc.). A failure in a stretched material could cause serious injury.

6 posted on 11/06/2016 3:54:50 PM PST by justlurking
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To: BenLurkin

Thanks for the link. That confirms it was an air cannon that malfunctioned.


7 posted on 11/06/2016 3:59:45 PM PST by justlurking
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To: freepertoo

Some of those air cannons use recycled propane and other pressure tanks for reservoirs. Improper welding can weaken those things.


8 posted on 11/06/2016 4:00:46 PM PST by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
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To: justlurking
A failure in a stretched material could cause serious injury.

That was Harry Roids excuse. Beat up by a rubber band. (named Guido)

9 posted on 11/06/2016 4:02:33 PM PST by digger48
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To: BenLurkin
A man and woman were injured Sunday after an explosion at Punkin Chunkin Sunday, according to Delaware State Police, who previously reported a person had died.

The two were hurt when an air cannon went off, sending with it large pieces of material from the cannon. As people were running away from the cannon, a large piece of the cannon hit a person in the head.

10 posted on 11/06/2016 4:21:59 PM PST by Robert DeLong
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To: freepertoo

Prayers up!

God grant him strength.


11 posted on 11/06/2016 4:23:50 PM PST by Dacula (Go TRUMP or go home!)
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To: justlurking
-- A failure in a stretched material could cause serious injury. --

Harry Reid will testify to that.

From "explosion" I take it as a rupture in some pressure containing element, could even be the barrel.

12 posted on 11/06/2016 4:26:20 PM PST by Cboldt
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To: Cboldt

There is a trap door on the cannon just past the dump valve where they load the pumpkins. According to the story, this failed allowing a catastrophic failure of the cannon.


13 posted on 11/06/2016 4:36:51 PM PST by rstrahan
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To: rstrahan

Thanks for that. Probably an “untested” component, unlike the pressure tanks which have a well developed design, proof, inpsection and “out of service” protocol.


14 posted on 11/06/2016 4:39:57 PM PST by Cboldt
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To: freepertoo

Agreeing in prayer for this man and his family. Amen


15 posted on 11/06/2016 5:18:09 PM PST by Twinkie (John 3:16)
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To: BenLurkin; All

I’ve seen some close up photos during the incident. It looks to me as if the pumpkin was jammed in the barrel & it was a forced chamber explosion. All that air volume & pressure had to go some where & it found the weakest point in the breech.


16 posted on 11/06/2016 5:38:51 PM PST by TMSuchman (Tis time to feed the Tree of Liberty again!!)
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To: TMSuchman

I was there. This is a good description of what happened. Breach Failure, it was bad. She basically stepped into the shrapnel, and will surely be the last event in DE. Person was a correspondent for the Science Channel.


17 posted on 11/06/2016 6:51:52 PM PST by Delmarksman (Pro 2A Anglican American (Ford and Chevy kill more people than guns do, lets ban them))
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To: Delmarksman

Please tell me it wasn;t Kari Byron


18 posted on 11/06/2016 10:00:56 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: fella

To say the least. Welding pressure vessels is one of the more heavily regulated activities in industry. All welders and weld processes are certified, and the welds carry a weld stamp identifier.


19 posted on 11/07/2016 2:55:12 AM PST by Tallguy
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To: BenLurkin
I am not sure and don't think that they have released the name yet. I was speaking directly with the director of the “Science” entourage at the scene and were were relieved to find that she had not expired, cotrary to what was being reported by the police and radio services.
EMT were there in seconds and when Life-Flight landed, we felt that she had a very good chance of survival. Hospital by air, is less than 10 minutes away.
If we have learned anything from this event it's that anything can happen with these homemade machines. There are safety inspections and the “Pits” are off limits to everyone except the crews, safety and news services/cameras.
Unfortunately she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Many folks formed into prayer groups which was good to see. The decision to end the event was made within a few minutes after the Helicopter left and my mission was to get everyone out of the venue as quickly/safely as possible.

This was a terrible situation, that happened despite every precaution being taken.

20 posted on 11/07/2016 6:51:37 AM PST by Delmarksman (Pro 2A Anglican American (Ford and Chevy kill more people than guns do, lets ban them))
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