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Kent (WA) Man Killed By Exploding Lava Lamp
KOMO TV News (Seattle, WA) ^ | 11/30/04 | Kevin Reese

Posted on 11/30/2004 4:57:24 AM PST by scooter2

KENT - "Philip has been a kid who tinkers with things ever since he was little," a grieving Claudia Quinn told KOMO 4 News Monday night after her son's bizarre and tragic death.

Sunday, 24-year-old Philip Quinn was tinkering with a lava lamp at his home in Kent. His girlfriend and his parents became worried when they couldn't find him and couldn't get him to answer his phone.

Claudia and Bill Quinn drove from their home in Auburn to check on their youngest son. They thought maybe he'd just overslept. They were devastated by what they found.

"I looked around the corner and saw his body slumped there in the corner and just couldn't believe what I saw," said Quinn's father.

"There was glass from the kitchen clear to the living room," his mom told us. "They said it appeared that a piece of glass punctured his heart."

Philip, in a fatal act of experimentation, had placed a lava lamp on the kitchen stove. When used properly and heated only by a small lightbulb, 40 watts in most cases, a lava lamp is essentially harmless: a mix of wax or oil and water sealed in a glass bottle with a small air space at the top of the bottle to allow for the liquid to expand under heat.

"It wasn't bubbling fast enough for him," his mom guesses. "Because when we walked in the stove was on at the lowest setting."

Even at the lowest setting the amount of heat was too much. As Philip watched the lava lamp on his stove the pressure began to build too much and too fast until it essentially exploded like a grenade, showering him with glass and sending a large shard deep into his chest.

He was found just a few feet away from the stove. He bled to death and never had a chance to call for help. The King County Medical Examiner has ruled the death accidental.

Police found no evidence of drug or alcohol use.

Philip Quinn leaves behind a 15-month old daughter. He was also the youngest of three brothers. Funeral services are planned for this Saturday.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: breaking; bubbles; darwinawardfinalist; justdamn; lavalamp; riskyscheme; stovetopsnuffing; themightystupidquinn; worstlampever
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To: shezza

Lava lamps don't kill people. People kill people. Protect our lava lamp rights!
;-)


21 posted on 11/30/2004 5:17:19 AM PST by PilloryHillary (Pillory Hillary! pilloryhillary.com)
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To: Tijeras_Slim; Constitution Day
Rest in peace, Doctor Science.
22 posted on 11/30/2004 5:18:34 AM PST by martin_fierro (Look who's back!)
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To: Tijeras_Slim

Hmm, that's odd. Has your employer got some block on FR? :P

Turkey Day was great.
I had off Friday too, so the 4-day weekend was outstanding! I got a lot of things done in my yard.

How was yours?


23 posted on 11/30/2004 5:18:42 AM PST by Constitution Day
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To: Barney59
... seriously, what a sad event... A child rendered fatherless...

Quite frankly, doesn't sound like the kid had much of a father anyhow.

24 posted on 11/30/2004 5:19:18 AM PST by madprof98
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To: madprof98

...you do have a point there...


25 posted on 11/30/2004 5:20:28 AM PST by Barney59 (Honesty is the only policy...)
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To: Constitution Day

I have a vivid memory at around age five of being in a dentist's office pondering a lava lamp. It was complete confusion to me as to how lava could be inside while the outside was cool.


26 posted on 11/30/2004 5:20:48 AM PST by Rebelbase (Who is General Chat?)
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To: beezdotcom

"John Edwards will soon channel her dead son to sue the lava lamp manufacturer."

In John Edwards defense, I think its only apprpriate that we ask one question: Was there a safety label on that lava lamp, stating the danger of setting the lamp on a stove? /sarcasm font off

Just a side note: I have a new iron that has a label stating, "Do not use iron while wearing garment."


27 posted on 11/30/2004 5:21:02 AM PST by Common Sense 101
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To: Constitution Day

Nah, I can get through to all the firearms sites which they try to block. I dunno.

It was cold and inexplicably overcast here, we had 4 days without much sun which is pretty unheard of. Just lazed around. It's 5 degrees and windy at the moment.


28 posted on 11/30/2004 5:21:05 AM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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To: shezza
See? They're indefensible. We need lava-lamp control NOW. A five-day waiting period and a license to lava.

That one was an ASSAULT LAVA LAMP! It looked funny, had a bayonet lug, and an extended magazine. Just a smaller version of the Assault SUV's that attack children all the time.

29 posted on 11/30/2004 5:21:22 AM PST by Gorzaloon (This tagline intentionally left blank.)
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To: scooter2

I feel terrible about this. I don't think he was stupid at all...it was a tragic accident. I sure he wasn't thinking the thing was going to blow up in his face. It scares the heck out of me because I have a teenage son who does things like this all the time.. he's way to curious and wants to know how everything works..God Bless his family.


30 posted on 11/30/2004 5:21:38 AM PST by ladiesview61
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To: cripplecreek

You will undoubtedly be sucked into a parallel [but possibly evil] dimension via a rip in the time/space continuum.

Let us know how it turns out, if you're able....:)


31 posted on 11/30/2004 5:21:59 AM PST by Salamander (This space for rent.)
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To: scooter2
"Kent (WA) Man Killed By Exploding Lava Lamp"

Should read:

Man Killed by Own Stupidity

The Lava Lamp was only a tool, he was going to kill himself one way or another... eventually.

32 posted on 11/30/2004 5:22:26 AM PST by Hatteras
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To: mhking; hchutch

A "just damn" ping.


33 posted on 11/30/2004 5:23:46 AM PST by Poohbah (Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women!)
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To: Tijeras_Slim

5? 5 degrees? BRRR!

Today's high in NC: 60.


34 posted on 11/30/2004 5:23:49 AM PST by Constitution Day
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To: Common Sense 101

"I have a new iron that has a label stating, "Do not use iron while wearing garment.""

So, does that mean you should only iron while naked?


35 posted on 11/30/2004 5:28:20 AM PST by G-Bear (My liver is EVIL, and I must PUNISH it!)
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To: Gorzaloon
ROFLOL! By the way, take a look at my early Christmas present. Isn't she a beaut?

36 posted on 11/30/2004 5:28:37 AM PST by shezza (Pray for our troops who are away from their families this holiday season)
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To: scooter2; Tijeras_Slim
"Philip has been a kid who tinkers with things ever since he was little," a grieving Claudia Quinn told KOMO 4 News Monday night after her son's bizarre and tragic death.
Sunday, 24-year-old Philip Quinn was tinkering with a lava lamp at his home in Kent.

This guy keeps coming to mind.

37 posted on 11/30/2004 5:29:03 AM PST by martin_fierro (Look who's back!)
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To: shezza

686+ ? Sweet.


38 posted on 11/30/2004 5:30:38 AM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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To: martin_fierro

"Worst lamp ever!"


39 posted on 11/30/2004 5:33:51 AM PST by 50sDad ( ST3d - Star Trek Tri-D Chess! http://my.oh.voyager.net/~abartmes)
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To: scooter2

Careful, the terrorists might pick up on this new WMD!


40 posted on 11/30/2004 5:34:31 AM PST by blondee123 (Proud Member of the FR Pajama Blogger Brigade - New Sheriffs in Town!)
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