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.
I think it was something else besides the lava lamp that took you on those trips.
Note to lava lamp hotrodders: drill vent hole before installing 200 watt bulb.
Send your lava lamps to Iran with instuctions to heat in camp fires.
Apply additional heat at own risk, use full body shield when heating.
Re-boring = more power = Make that lava lamp scream. Better yet add a dual exhaust for that throaty growl.
ROTFLMAO! Thank God no one was hurt!
I saw my friend’s cat pounce on one of those round pressurized biscuit packages when it rolled off his counter when he was taking groceries out of a bag. BOOM! Biscuits all over the cat. Remember how a cat's fur bristles in the cartoons starting at the tail? Well its true in real life as well. The cat streaked off down the hall, biscuits flying everywhere. LMAO! Would have given a great deal to have had a camera running that afternoon! :-)
I was considering getting lava lamps for my grandsons, but they WILL tinker, I'd never forgive myself if...
Police found no evidence of drug or alcohol use.
That’s the saddest part of the story – the total lack of an excuse.
The last words of a redneck are: "Hey, Y'all! Watch This!"
How bizarre. A piece of glass deep enough into his chest to puncture his heart. (shudder)
Boiling water is a mighty force...
OK, so you get a Darwin Award Honorable Mention (reserved for people who actually live through their stupid stunts...)
Ohmigosh. It would be interesting to see an answer as to just what all natural forces kept that cat going around and around.
People. Let's stop the jokes now and simply pray for his little daughter left behind.
There's a video link at that source too!
I'm trying not to laugh about this, but you're making it impossible.
Must've been a very powerful blast. This guy was way too old to be doing something foolish like this. In fact, I can't imagine a sixteen year old doing this.
How long before MA institutes a lava lamp license? A license to purchase, own, or store lava lamps or accessories such as 40w appliance bulbs.
License will cost $150 (following satisfactory completion of manadatory lava lamp safety program; program costs $75 through local lava club) for 2 years; $80 renewal fee.
License does not allow carrying of lava lamps. CCL license (concealed carry:lava) is $250 application fee and annual renewal.
Neither license applies to Boston city limits, where all lava and other molten wax novelty products are banned.
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