# Sargent sparkler bomb



## steve holchak (May 18, 2012)

I heard there was a bad accident Sat. night in sargent. 2 people lifeflited out with bad injuries.Anybody know any details? I tried Google with no luck.


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

Haven't heard anything, anyone else hear something?


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## Salty Dog (Jan 29, 2005)

This is the only thing I have heard of. Not sure if it was in Matagorda or Sargent. Two boys were injured.

https://www.gofundme.com/2cmtxtg


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## JFolm (Apr 22, 2012)

Salty Dog said:


> This is the only thing I have heard of. Not sure if it was in Matagorda or Sargent. Two boys were injured.
> 
> http://www.gofundme.com/2cmtxtg


That is terrible.


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## steve holchak (May 18, 2012)

Salty Dog said:


> This is the only thing I have heard of. Not sure if it was in Matagorda or Sargent. Two boys were injured.
> 
> http://www.gofundme.com/2cmtxtg


This is consistent with what I heard, from a good friend(Neighbor) Sunday morning. We heard a firetruck and ambulance Sat. night.Apparently, a home made sparkler bomb was the cause.Lord, have mercy. He is 15 years old!


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## 6.5 shooter dude (Jan 8, 2008)

What is a sparkler bomb?


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## TatterTot (Jan 6, 2006)

6.5 shooter dude said:


> What is a sparkler bomb?


Wrap up TIGHT about 100-200 sparklers with duct tape. And I mean TIGHT. Pull 1 sparker in the middle up as a fuse. They are powerful.


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## maskale (Sep 19, 2014)

6.5 shooter dude said:


> What is a sparkler bomb?


youtube, lots of vids. its like tannerite, cheap, easy to build, big boom


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## Robert.Parson (Sep 7, 2004)

*Island?*

We saw the fire trucks headed down toward the east end of the island Saturday night. 
Never saw an ambulance and never heard the Life Flight chopper.
Thought it was just a fireworks brush fire since the first truck looked like the brush fire rig, and the second looked like a pumper/tanker..
I have absolutely no idea what time that was though. 
Fireworks are dangerous.
Safety is paramount. 
I hope Rowdy pulls thru....

Robert


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## 200ZX (Dec 14, 2009)

Prayers sent their way.


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## ralph7 (Apr 28, 2009)

Dammit, we were all young and did stupid things in our past. I hate to hear he paid such a terrible price. 
Prayers up.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

What an absolute tragedy!


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## steve holchak (May 18, 2012)

I just saw it on channel 13 news.I'm still crying.REAL bad. He may not make it.$40.00 worth of sparklers.KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR KIDS PEOPLE!!! This should have never happened! They amputated 1 leg. He has wires from the sparklers imbedded in his eyes. His mother was right there.What the hell were they thinking?


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## maskale (Sep 19, 2014)

sounds like his fuse was to short.


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## Dukman (Sep 21, 2007)

http://www.khou.com/news/local/teen-gravely-injured-by-sparkler-bomb/263383394


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

ralph7 said:


> Dammit, we were all young and did stupid things in our past. I hate to hear he paid such a terrible price.
> Prayers up.


Exactly. Prayers for all.

This hurts...tragic.


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

How sad. Prayers sent


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## Shredded Evidence (Jun 25, 2007)

Absolute tragedy. I did some stupid stuff when I was a kid. Think of how many close calls I had and my knucklehead friends and this wakes you up a bit. We can all talk about the stupid stuff in hindsight but this is a tragedy.


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## Main Frame 8 (Mar 16, 2007)

I posted this to my Facebook page. I'm sure at least one of my friends or family have heard about these and thinking of giving them a try. If so, hopefully, they find an alternate plan.


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## Mr. Saltwater (Oct 5, 2012)

Prayers going up for him!!!


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## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

Absolute tragedy.

I don't mess with sparklers anymore at all. A few years ago, I got burnt just trying to light one in a heavy wind. No more for me or my loved ones.


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## DSL_PWR (Jul 22, 2009)

The family lives or lived next door to my brother, so he knows them pretty well. Sad all around.


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Long ago*

Prayers up for the young man - did something similar with a kitchen matchbox filled with powder from unwrapped firecrackers - filled the box full of powder , taped it up tite, left one firecracker in it with a long fuse, buried it in our gravel driveway , lit the fuse, (wasn't long enough,) blew a four foot hole in the ground , ruptured our natural gas line, busted every front window out of our house - how me and the kid with me didn't get a scratch is miraculous -9 year old children can make IED's if they get creative - supervise your kids !!!

1963.


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## 98aggie77566 (Jul 7, 2009)

^^He is right!

Amazing I survived some of my scientific experiments!

My son on the other hand....burned our 30x50 hay barn smooth to the ground at 8 years old with a handful of black cats!

Prayers for this young man and all involved!!


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

Yep dry ice a plastic container and some water and big BOOM


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## Deany45 (Jul 24, 2011)

Rough. We used to spend all day building guns for bottle rockets. Line up on opposite ends of a gravel road and have a war. Lots of close calls and minor injuries. We really lucked out. Prayers to this kid.


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## TxDuSlayer (Jun 24, 2006)

Jesus, this poor kid I hope will pull through but sparkler wire embedded in his eyes on top of everything else!!! Prayers sent for the family


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## patwilson (Jan 13, 2006)

Prayers sent.

I'm not even going to began my stories. I am more the 50% death because of home made fire works....


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## SeaY'all (Jul 14, 2011)

I saw the hole that the sparkler bomb made. Those boys are both lucky to be alive.

They made the sparkler bomb with 700 sparklers and stuck it in a drainage ditch.
While we were there, one of the boys and his father came to look at the scene.

He was almost 20 feet away and it blew him backwards.


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## Bassman5119 (Feb 26, 2008)

I thought bomb making was a federal offense. How are there "how-to" videos all over Youtube? Are these not considered bombs, being that they are not fertilizer and diesel? Remember back in the early 80's a guy set off an acetylene/oxygen bouncy ball bomb at Texas Pipe Bending to scare some coworkers. He was charged federally.


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## bjmillet (Apr 9, 2012)

Our RV trailer is across the street. It shook our trailer and set off one of our car alarms. I jumped out of bed thinking a transformer blew. We shut off the car alarm and went back to sleep. We heard the sad news when got back from fishing the next morn.


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

Prayers for the kid, for sure...

Meanwhile, I did my share of "modifications" of fireworks when I was a kid, but I never looked at something that had a bunch of stiff wire in it, that ends up being the sole remnant of the sparkler once it's burned, and thought "Hey, I ought to make a bomb filled with those things". Oversize fireworks are one thing, homemade fragmentation grenades just simply never entered my mind as a "good idea"


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## steve holchak (May 18, 2012)

bjmillet said:


> Our RV trailer is across the street. It shook our trailer and set off one of our car alarms. I jumped out of bed thinking a transformer blew. We shut off the car alarm and went back to sleep. We heard the sad news when got back from fishing the next morn.


Are you on Canal?


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## MarkU (Jun 3, 2013)

That kid is really physically messed up. I just looked at the gofudme page. The updated pic was hard to look at. Fixing to send some cabbage that way.


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## 98aggie77566 (Jul 7, 2009)

Reading some of the comments on the GoFundMe page....makes me further believe social media will be the downfall of our society.

Geez people....if you don't want to donate...by all means don't! But please don't rub salt in a gaping wound by bashing a kid that made a horrible mistake and is paying the consequences.

We should all be so perfect I guess....


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

98aggie77566 said:


> Reading some of the comments on the GoFundMe page....makes me further believe social media will be the downfall of our society.
> 
> Geez people....if you don't want to donate...by all means don't! But please don't rub salt in a gaping wound by bashing a kid that made a horrible mistake and is paying the consequences.
> 
> We should all be so perfect I guess....


Yeah after MarkU posted I went over there to look at the picture and those comments are crazy!


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## bjmillet (Apr 9, 2012)

steve holchak said:


> Are you on Canal?


Yes, the 6th lot.


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## Fishtexx (Jun 29, 2004)

Really sad some of the comments made to that page. Karma is a ***** people, I hope she comes to visit those heartless ********. Prayers for Rowdy and his family. Looking back at the stupid things I have done and gotten away with, I am a very lucky man, and I am sure I am not alone.


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## jetbuilt (May 4, 2010)

I made sparkler bombs as a kid...and I thought they were amazingly powerful with only 10-15 sparklers. It's hard to imagine the power of the device that those kids created. Sad story, hopefully those that hear of it learn from this young mans mistake.


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## goatchze (Aug 1, 2006)

jetcycles said:


> I made sparkler bombs as a kid...and I thought they were amazingly powerful with only 10-15 sparklers. It's hard to imagine the power of the device that those kids created. Sad story, hopefully those that hear of it learn from this young mans mistake.


Same here, we would use around 20.

Back in the dial-up days of the interwebz, before Google and YouTube and Windows 98, there was a text file you could download call the Anarchists Cookbook. Not that we were anarchists, but it had tons of cool stuff in it (for a teenager). How to trick a pay phone into thinking you had deposited money, how to make a landmine, how to make napalm, smoke bombs, and, of course, how to make a sparkler bomb.

We did all of the above (and more) and had a blast. That said, we could have easily ended up like this young man. Very tragic. No need for people to throw stones at him or his family.


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## txteltech (Jul 6, 2012)

Sad deal, I had no idea the blast that would happen from sparklers. Prayers up for Rowdy


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## SD Hawkins (Jan 2, 2008)

Wife said she knew the mom that was on TV last night. I have that Anarchists cookbook ( said to smoke banana peels, the real thing was MUCH better I recall). Most we ever did was tape 5-6 M-80's together with a small weight to make a depth charge, and then a lady finger popped in my hand when having wars, I did not touch one again after that. We do sparklers and roman candles, with gloves on thats it now. All those little wires must have went into his face, terrible thing to watch a kid in pain, just went thru it last week, fortunately the whole episode was less than 1 hr for us last week.


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

goatchze said:


> Same here, we would use around 20.
> 
> Back in the dial-up days of the interwebz, before Google and YouTube and Windows 98, there was a text file you could download call the Anarchists Cookbook. Not that we were anarchists, but it had tons of cool stuff in it (for a teenager). How to trick a pay phone into thinking you had deposited money, how to make a landmine, how to make napalm, smoke bombs, and, of course, how to make a sparkler bomb.


I had one of the hard copies back in the early '80s. You can still download it pretty easily..


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## JJGold1 (May 6, 2010)

Can anyone confirm the legitimacy of the originator? I'd like to send some funds but I'm cautious of opportunists.


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## Drifter (May 23, 2004)

Prayers Sent....


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## Notenoughtime (Mar 7, 2011)

and we wonder how the kids learn it....


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## Harbormaster (May 26, 2000)

Rowdys pants.


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## Salty Dog (Jan 29, 2005)

JJGold said:


> Can anyone confirm the legitimacy of the originator? I'd like to send some funds but I'm cautious of opportunists.


It's legit. My wife knows the lady who set the gofundme up. The kid is from Matagorda. I don't know him but I know lots and lots of folks who do.


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## agonzales1981 (Jun 12, 2008)

Man what a sad deal, prayers for him and the family. I've done some real stupid shat when I was younger, could have easily ended up missing fingers or toes.


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## Category6 (Nov 21, 2007)

At least the boy is alive, it could've gone the other way real easy. Praying he keeps his sight, he can learn to get along with a prosthetic leg. Really sad deal, but at least he's alive.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I have seen videos of huge flares made with many sparklers, but didn't cause true explosion. The kids may have thought that would happen.
No matter what, very sad.


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## Category6 (Nov 21, 2007)

No they knew what they were doing as far as making a bomb, it makes a heck of an IED with enough tape. They just got the fuse too short, got a hot fuse, or made the mistake of using more than one sparkler for the fuse. Every now and then you get a hot sparkler that burns down almost instantly, and if you put 2 or 3 together they burn down almost instantly. They make a heck of an explosion. Very dangerous.


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## hilton (Jan 28, 2008)

This is so, so, sad.

Prayers sent.


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## surf_ox (Jul 8, 2008)

I made one one time and never will again. 

I also think this is why it's harder to find the wire sparklers. The tighter you wind the tape the sparkler material breaks and becomes a powder. Then when ignited and compressed it goes boom and huge. The jagged end I found 100 yards away from where i set it off. Scary stuff


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Don't ever hesitate to try something new. Remember amateurs built the ARK and professionals built the TITANIC.


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## Weaselmender (Jun 21, 2016)

*We ain't changed much*

When I was about 9 I got a chemistry set for my birthday, the first thing I looked for in the book was how to make a bomb. Males are fascinated with explosions and will go so far past stupid they can't even see in the rear view mirror just to make something go bang. If males were not looked after by God most of the time humanity would be doomed because of a lack of breeding males. We laugh about the phrase " Ya'll watch this" but sometimes it just isn't funny at all, this was one of those times. My prayers are up for this young man and his family.


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## Texas T (May 21, 2004)

The power of a sparkler bomb




Language warning


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## 24Buds (Dec 5, 2008)

wow. Hope the boy recovers. That is crazy. Glad I didn't know about this as a young one. I know I would have done it.

Sad for the boy.


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## cubera (Mar 9, 2005)

Whitebassfisher said:


> I have seen videos of huge flares made with many sparklers, but didn't cause true explosion. The kids may have thought that would happen.
> No matter what, very sad.


In one of the first interviews with his mom she stated he'd been doing this for quite a while.


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## JJGold1 (May 6, 2010)

cubera said:


> In one of the first interviews with his mom she stated he'd been doing this for quite a while.


Hmmmmm


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

Horrible result. I just can't imagine that the mother didn't recognize the potential power of those bombs and stop him before he went too far. But obviously she didn't. Maybe this one was way more powerful than all of the others. Can't say that it is her fault if she truly didn't see the danger.


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## Weaselmender (Jun 21, 2016)

98aggie77566 said:


> ^^He is right!
> 
> Amazing I survived some of my scientific experiments!
> 
> ...


I hope he survived if I did that my father would still be spanking me and I am 65 and he has passed!!!!!!!


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## steve holchak (May 18, 2012)

I haven't seen any reports on the news today.last I heard was they were waiting on Rowdy to wake up, and check if he could see.Anybody know of any recent reports? We all probably got hurt with fireworks growing up, but not to this extent. If y'all believe in the power of prayer, PLEASE send one up for Rowdy and his family. They need it right now.


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## Harbormaster (May 26, 2000)

They're saying he was in surgery again cleaning up the leg that was amputated because it isn't healing properly.

No news on his eyes.

They need all the prayers they can get.


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## Reel Time (Oct 6, 2009)

Harbormaster said:


> They're saying he was in surgery again cleaning up the leg that was amputated because it isn't healing properly.
> 
> No news on his eyes.
> 
> They need all the prayers they can get.


He and his friends and family have my prayers.


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## Mr. Breeze (Jan 6, 2005)

Prayers for young Rowdy. God Bless.


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

Mr. Breeze said:


> Prayers for young Rowdy. God Bless.


Yes Amen.


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## Bull Minnow (May 28, 2004)

I must admit, My son made some of these last year. We made it very clear that he isn't to do it any more. Poor kid. Prayers sent for Rowdy.


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## mstrelectricman (Jul 10, 2009)

Too many people,mostly kids, are hurt by fireworks. Yes, we played with them as kids and thankfully never got seriously hurt.

As a result of my experiences and all the bad experiences I've read, I did not allow my kids to play with them. I think we made a wise decision. 

I'm not about to claim my siblings and I didn't do stupid stuff nor will I claim my kids didn't do stupid, of course they did. They are/ were kids.

Hopefully this kid recovers and gets a chance at a good life.


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## freedbaby (Oct 22, 2009)

His Grandpa is my neighbor in Sargent...Wild Bill. Sad....Prayers for Rowdy


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## Grumpy365 (Oct 21, 2010)

mstrelectricman said:


> *Too many people,mostly kids, are hurt by fireworks*. Yes, we played with them as kids and thankfully never got seriously hurt.
> 
> As a result of my experiences and all the bad experiences I've read, I did not allow my kids to play with them. I think we made a wise decision.
> 
> ...


Same could be said for football, baseball, basketball, soccer, 4-wheelers, dirt bikes, go-karts, guns, fish hooks, cars, alcohol, etc., etc.

We can't raisem in a world without sharp edges. Accidents happen. people do stupid things. There is a value in living thru the stupid times.

I would hate to deprive my kids from being exposed to all the stuff that could hurt them.

Your decisions were best for you, but you sound like you are on the precipice of supporting extending your decisions to everyone else, under the guise of "it's for the children"

Sorry to de-rail the thread.

I truly do hope the young man can recover in a way where he still maintains a suitable quality of life. (although it will never be, what it could have been)


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## steve holchak (May 18, 2012)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=637568826399091&id=100004379386503


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

Wow, what a great guy. Houston will build a statue of JJ in front of the stadium someday.:texasflag


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## sotexhookset (Jun 4, 2011)

That is pretty cool stuff.


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

Please get better. Hopefully the visit lifted up his spirits.


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## Chiquapin13 (Jan 8, 2012)

Do they know if he can see yet? 


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## Harbormaster (May 26, 2000)

Rowdy just got home. No details yet.


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## OnedayScratch (May 23, 2012)

Good news!


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## Duckchasr (Apr 27, 2011)

The Lord is GOOD.


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## POC Fishin' Gal (Nov 20, 2009)

Prayers up for a speedy recovery and lots of help for his family.


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## steve holchak (May 18, 2012)

God bless him. Never should have happened.


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## TxDuSlayer (Jun 24, 2006)

Poor kid how did his eye's turn out? Hope he didnt loose his vision?


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## BBCAT (Feb 2, 2010)

Any update on this incident.


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## Harbormaster (May 26, 2000)

He lost part of his leg and some fingers on his left hand.


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## Chiquapin13 (Jan 8, 2012)

Harbor master, have you heard about his vision? 


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## Harbormaster (May 26, 2000)

Chiquapin13 said:


> Harbor master, have you heard about his vision?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


He has no vision in one eye but can make out shapes and movement with the other, which is a good sign.

Poor kid's in for a rough ride!


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## TheGoose (Jan 22, 2006)

I ran across this thread the other day and was wondering how the young men that were affected are doing? Lord knows we did a lot of stupid stuff when we were that age. 

4th of July is upon us. Be safe out there!


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## WillieT (Aug 25, 2010)

maskale said:


> sounds like his fuse was to short.


Not cool.


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

thank God we didn't have the internet 50yrs ago...
but jetting and tweaking a Holley carb or tricking a dual-point would been handy, tho...


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## TIMBOv2 (Mar 18, 2010)

WillieT said:


> Not cool.


From what I heard he poured gas on it and then lit it. That is why he wasnâ€™t able to get out of harms way.
May not be 100% true. Like I said above this is just what I heard from some younger kids from the area.


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## WillieT (Aug 25, 2010)

Did not realize this was an old thread. Glad he is alive, hope he gets his sight back in one eye.


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