South Carolina Ping
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Posted on 07/05/2013 11:58:22 AM PDT by Gamecock
A 54-year-old Travelers Rest man died Thursday night after he was injured in a fireworks-related accident.
Robin Rhodes Smith was setting of fireworks at his home on Hilltop Road in Travelers Rest around 9:20 p.m. when the incident occurred, according to Mike Ellis, chief deputy for the Greenville County Coroner's Office.
Witnesses told Ellis that Smith lit a flaming ball charge and inserted it into a mortar-type launching tube, but it did not ignite. Smith used a pocket knife to install another fuse and, once lit, held the base of the tube up against his chest.
Ellis said the round exploded into Smith's chest through the bottom of the mortar tube, possibly because the charge was inserted upside-down.
Smith, who was in cardiac arrest when emergency crews arrived on the scene, was pronounced dead en route to Greenville Memorial Hospital. He died from penetrating blunt force trauma to the chest, according to Ellis.
Ellis said Smith was sitting in a chair on his back deck at the time of the accident.
The Travelers Rest police and fire departments are also investigating the death.
Famous last words: "Hold my beer and watch this!"
let me take this explosive device built by chinese slave labor and hold it tight to my chest.
Ya beat me to it . . .
Last year I purposely put a mortar round in upside down in the tube on top of a box just to show my kids what happens when you don’t pay attention. Made a nice little crater.
Fire! (Works)
Wow! Those fireworks must have been bringing a serious punch to kill an adult with a chest wound!
I might add that my wife, son and I have set off fireworks for close to 40 years and have never had any issues. You cannot fix stupid!
Well, this is South Carolina!
South Carolina Ping
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Stupid people die in stupid ways.
Anyone knows you are supposed to aim fireworks at other people.
This is a new level of stupid, but I have seen people look down into a mortar tube when the fuse just went out...
Some people luck into a meeting with Darwin - this guy *worked* for it!
Nature thinning the heard
OMG Beat me to it
Until yesterday, this guy probably said the same thing.
Famous last words: "Hold my beer and watch this!"
I could be mistaken, of course, but believe that's the Illinois state motto.
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