Two Boys Hospitalized After Potato Gun Accident In NW MN (another day, another potato gun)

WCCO-TV/DT Minneapolis ^ | 4.21.03

[mhking]

Two Boys Hospitalized After Potato Gun Accident In NW Minnesota

Apr 21, 2003 1:58 pm US/Central
(AP) (Erskine, Minn.) Two boys remain hospitalized after a bizarre accident on a farm near Erskine in northwestern Minnesota.

Polk County Sheriff Mark LeTexier says the two friends were shooting a screwdriver from a homemade potato gun when the accident happened Friday night.

When the potato gun failed to discharge, the boys put it down. But when one of the boys went to pick it up, it went off.

The sheriff says the screwdriver struck one of the boys in the chest. It narrowly missed his heart but punctured a lung. He's hospitalized in stable condition at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He's expected to recover.

The boy who was handling the gun when it went off is still hospitalized in Crookston. He's being treated for shock.

Because the boys are juveniles, their names are not being released.

[mhking]

Just damn.

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[Sonny M]

We need to quickly pass laws for Potato control, it is essential that potato control laws be passed and enforced, and if those people in Idaho don't like it, well, we'll take there potato's away anyway and make them understand that "its for the children".

[_Jim]

two friends were shooting a screwdriver from a

Well, it's no-longer a potato gun at that point ...

[Txslady]

lol

[LibKill]

When I was a youngster the potato gun was undreamt of, not yet invented.

We had to make do with explosives, flammable liquids and electricity. It's a wonder any of us survived.

[small voice in the wilderness]

When the potato gun failed to discharge, the boys put it down. But when one of the boys went to pick it up, it went off.

The old spud dud trick. Damn.

[Fireone]

Sue the manufacturer! (of the PVC pipe?)

[coloradan]

Every year? Every Single Day 102,000 kids are lost to potato violence. And yet potatoes are unregistered, potato owners unlicensed, and high-capacity assault potato sacks still sold at grocery stores - without background checks and without even checking the age of the buyers! From small readily concealable fingerling potatoes to huge military-style Russet potatoes, which have no sporting purposes! Who needs that many potatoes?

[Libertina]

Cat with guns don't cause as much physical damage - LOL.

[Bogey78O]

Don't forget the Potato show loophole.

[Semper911]

102,000 children are injured by potato guns.

...and don't forget all those who go into shock when potato guns attack.

Seriously though, these are incredibly dangerous and are usually built without adult supervision and without a clue of all that can go wrong.

As I recall, they are illegal here in Francachusetts. (MA) I could be wrong about that, but give them a few minutes, and they WILL be illegal.

[Ramius]

Uh oh...

[_Jim]

We had to make do with explosives, flammable liquids

GREATEST spectacle I ever created - used a propane torch to keep the 'jet' of liquid from a coleman lantirn's generator ignited - created a 4' licking flame *inside* the wooden barn (on the 1st level down below the hay mow) ...

[small voice in the wilderness]

What's a parent to do? Tater Tots seem so innocent...

[July 4th]

At what point is a potato gun no longer a potato gun? I think this article answers that question. How stupid can you be to try and shoot a screwdriver out of one of these things, much less get anywhere in front of it?

[nevergore]

My son and I made a potato cannon....a larger version of a potato gun.....

We use Right Guard Deoderant as the propellant....The first three ingredients of Right Guard are Propane, Butane and Alchohol.....

Best we can tell, we are getting about 800-900 yards on a large green potato....That sucker is powerful....

A friend of mine, an ex-B-29 pilot from WWII whose written several books and now is in his 80's, came over to watch. After the first launch with it's telltale WHOOOSH sound, he jumped up like a little kid and had to fire it several times himself....His wife just shook her heard in amazement....

If you've never made one, they are a blast....

NeverGore :^)

[Bogey78O]

I would take lighter fuel and put it into an empty gallon of milk. Then I'd atomize it by shaking the hell out of it.

Finally with the cap down I'd slowly rotate the bottle and using a long reach lighter I'd ignite the vapors. It would create this intense jet of blue from the nozzle.