A man lost his hand after an explosive device detonated while he was cleaning up Fourth of July firework debris on a Northern California beach.
Subscribe to read this story ad-free
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.
Jason Turner and his girlfriend were walking along Point St. George Beach in Del Norte County on Sunday, picking up firework remnants from the day before to help keep the beach clean, according to a GoFundMe set up by his daughter, Ashley Turner.
Turner picked up a “bomb-like device that unexpectedly went off,” causing an explosion that “resulted in the loss of his hand,” his daughter wrote.
The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted to social media on Wednesday that deputies responded to reports of an explosion at the beach. Turner was found in the parking lot with a “significant injury to his hand” and he was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sheriff Kayle Stevens told NBC News on Thursday that investigators have not been able to determine exactly what exploded because “we did not find any debris or remnants of the device.”
The couple was about a quarter mile from the parking area when the incident occurred, where there was no cell service, Stevens said. The couple had to make their way back to the parking lot to call for help, and first responders arrived about 20 minutes after the incident.
Turner described the object as a cylindrical device poking out of a mound of sand near the waterline that detonated when he picked it up, according to Stevens.
Ashley Turner said on the GoFundMe page that her dad underwent an amputation of his hand and is expected to need additional surgeries.
“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.
Her father has “metal fragments stuck in his eyes and behind his left eye he has blood … His right ear drum is blown and he has no hearing out of it,” she said in a Wednesday update.
She added his vision and hearing injuries may be permanent.
As of Thursday, the GoFundMe had raised nearly $90,000 to help cover his medical expenses.
The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that they have not found any similar devices or remnants of the device. The investigation into the cause of the explosion remains ongoing and urged the public not to handle any suspected explosive devices.
“If you find a suspected explosive device do not touch it. Move away to a safe distance and immediately contact law enforcement,” the sheriff’s office warned.