Man shoots off firework (mortar) from top of his head, dies instantly

[Liberal_in_LA]

CALAIS, Maine (AP) — A young man who was drinking and celebrating the Fourth of July tried to launch a firework off the top of his head, fatally injuring himself, authorities said Sunday.

Devon Staples and his friends had been drinking and setting off fireworks Saturday night in the backyard of a friend's home in the small eastern Maine city of Calais, said Stephen McCausland, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety. Staples, 22, of Calais, placed a fireworks mortar tube on his head and set it off, he said.

The firework exploded, killing Staples instantly, McCausland said.
His death is the first fireworks fatality in Maine since the state legalized fireworks on Jan. 1, 2012, authorities said.

Calais is on the Canadian border near New Brunswick.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Police-Man-shoots-off-firework-from-top-of-his-6367009.php

[hlthe2b]

1. Alcohol, Youth, and Testosterone...

One heck of a lethal combination, it would seem for some...

Tragic, certainly, but unbelievably stupid.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. picture of mortar tube. maybe the mortar went in wrong direction. must have been gruesome

Rip young man

[uppityperson]

9. 47 yr old in michigan did this also. This vid explains what they both missed, pressure goes in both

directions. In order for the mortar to shoot up, the same pressure goes down.
http://us.tomonews.net/video.php?video_id=245980863676416

[mmonk]

10. Yes. Those are balls with fuses. The tube is the only why as to why they end up skyward.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

12. Unfortunately, they both disregarded Newton's Third Law

[Unrepentant Fenian]

2. It's really sad that people can be this stupid....

I don't understand why one of his friends didn't try to talk some sense into him! Sad, really sad for all involved!

[CAG]

3. Wow....its really disturbing that alligator-

Death dude isn't the stupidest person of the week

[olddots]

4. okay who is gonna say it ?

" that was using his head " ?????

So sad ,I had a freind that died from fireworks not like this but fireworks are really dangerous .

This guy could have been a freind but now we won't know .

[ileus]

5. Always use the supplied tube with these fireworks.

We set off probably 50 of these last night...no issues.

Safety first, dying later.

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. he did use the supplied tube..put it on his head

[LWolf]

8. Meanwhile,

my 15 yo grandson was in charge of setting off a few "safe & sane" fireworks while we waited for the big show to begin. I didn't hear his dad give him any special instructions, but I noted the care he took in setting up, lighting carefully, and moving back quickly. The absence of alcohol and the presence of older family is a good combination.

[bucolic_frolic]

11. This really is the type of thing

that should have been tested beforehand, like nailing a pizza tin
to a tree stump and launching from there to assess the damage.