A U.S. man had his hand amputated after an explosive device detonated while he was out cleaning July Fourth debris from a beach in northern California, police said.
Jason Turner and his girlfriend, Pamela, were walking along a beach in Del Norte County on July 5, cleaning up trash and fireworks debris from the day before to help keep the beach in good condition, when he “picked up a bomb-like device” that went off, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his daughter, Ashley Turner.
“The explosion resulted in the loss of his hand, turning what should have been a simple act of kindness into a life-changing emergency,” she wrote.
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The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook statement Wednesday that deputies responded to a report of an explosion and found Turner in the parking lot at Point St. George with a significant hand injury.
“Due to the severity of the injury, the male subject was transported to Sutter Coast Hospital by Del Norte Ambulance,” police said.
Sheriff Kayle Stevens told NBC News on Thursday that investigators had been unable to determine the cause of the explosion because no debris from the device remained. The couple were unable to call emergency services due to the lack of cell service on the beach, so they had to return to the parking lot to alert authorities, he also told the U.S. news agency.
Turner described the object to police as a cylindrical device protruding from a pile of sand close to the shore, which detonated when he picked it up, Stevens told NBC.
Ashley Turner said on the GoFundMe page that her father had undergone surgery to amputate his hand and would need additional procedures. He also suffered some vision and hearing loss, which may not return, she wrote.
“This sudden accident has brought a wave of challenges for my family. He will be out of work for some time. The road to recovery will be long and difficult,” she wrote.
Turner explained that her father has metal fragments stuck in his eyes and behind his left eye, and “has blood pulling.”
“His right eardrum is blown, and he has no hearing out of it,” she shared, alongside several pictures of Jason in his hospital bed, where the severity of his injuries to his face and body is clearly visible.
Police said Wednesday that an investigation into the cause of the explosion was ongoing and that deputies have continued to search the beach for additional explosives. Authorities are also reminding the public not to touch a suspected explosive device if they come upon one.
“If you find a suspected explosive device, do not touch it. Move away to a safe distance and immediately contact law enforcement,” the statement says.
As of Friday, Turner’s GoFundMe campaign has raised more than US$98,000.
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