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| Updated: 7/04/2012 7:48 pm |
Published: 7/04/2012 9:04 am |
PULASKI COUNTY, AR – A Paron man is in the hospital after his homemade cannon exploded and nearly took off his entire hand.
46-year-old Gregory Carlson lost three of his fingers in the explosion. He is currently at Baptist Hospital recovering from his injuries and may lose his other two fingers.
Carlson’s brother Shawn says Greg had been firing the cannon for years every 4th of July.
“Been doing it for a long time and this one time was damn near fatal,” said Shawn Carlson.
“You got a hole for a fuse and then you put a couple caps of powder, prodex, or something in it, and pack it,” said Shawn. “During the packing process, something went wrong, and it ignited.”
When first responders arrived at Advanced Paint and Body, near the intersection of Kanis and Denny roads, what was left of Greg’s left hand was wrapped in a bandage. Greg is a mechanic by trade, so now his livelihood is in danger.
“A major life-altering predicament, you know?” said Shawn. “That’s what just happened. He’s got a lot of recovery to go, all over a two-second bang.”
Shawn has a warning he wants everyone to hear this July 4th. He says homemade cannons like the one his brother made may be fun, but they're dangerous, and not worth risking your life.
"Man, we've been doing it for years and it's just that one time, that's all it takes," he said.
