Bad News

[Selma Hunter]

LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. —

A man was seriously injured early Wednesday morning when a black powder homemade cannon exploded in his face.

Deputies were called to the 2300 block of Keener Road at 1:15 a.m., where paramedics and firefighters were on the scene treating the patient.

The man was lying against a door on the side porch of the residence with what appeared to be serious head injuries.

Several family and friends were inside the residence and told officers they didn't see what happened but they heard the explosion.

One woman told officers when the loud explosion occurred she saw Timothy Crouse Hester, 41, of Lincolnton, flying across the porch in a cloud of smoke and land against the door. Hester had been shooting the cannon during the night to celebrate the new year.

Hester was taken to Carolinas Medical Center-Lincoln, where an awaiting medical helicopter airlifted him to the Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center in Winston Salem.

Hester suffered second-degree burns to the face and cornea damage to one eye. He is expected to be released from the hospital Friday. The homemade cannon was seized as evidence in the case.

Investigation into the incident is continuing.

[emike123]

Wonder if his New Year's resolution was to get canonized?  If so he failed as it looks like he will be released today from the hospital so good for him:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/01/02/4583892/cannon-explodes-in-mans-face.html#.UsbEuvRDvSM

That's not much of a cannon in the picture, IMNSHO, but you can see the clear potential for disaster from certain design elements.  Definitely not OSHA approved.

[Selma Hunter]

All -

The so-called canon was little more than a larger vertical "thunder mug".  It did appear to be substantial in terms of the tube thickness, and the "after" photo or two that made the news showed it still apparently welded to the base plate.  The reference to the witness statement in the article notwithstanding I have to ask myself if this incident involved something more than black powder.

[pipedreamer65]

I live in the general area of Lincoln County, NC.  It's a long tradition, well over 100 years, of the firing of black powder guns and other "inventions" to welcome the New Year in Cherryville and the surrounding area.  Typically, a group of men will go to someone's house and fire guns and then move on to the next one.  This is done for good luck, crop growth, good fortune, etc...  The group is legit and take safety seriously. Then, you have other people who just do stupid stuff like the homemade thunder mug.  I heard explosions this year that made me wonder exactly what some folks were using.  A few sounded absolutely warlike and you could feel it inside of the house.  Whatever it is, it goes way beyond commercial fireworks that are available on the market.   I'm surprised that someone hasn't gotten killed up to this point.

[CarlS]

Anyone hear how he got hurt?  I see no ignition system.  Maybe he was bent over the cannon and dropped a match down the bore to light it?  Sounds to me like there were refreshments involved before the firing!   

[jonpatterson]

I vote for 3 parts alcohol mixed with 2 parts stupid.......shaken violently. 

[pipedreamer65]

I'm quite certain it was one of those, "Hey y'all, watch this" kind of moments, as he dropped a match or held a lighted stick onto the powder or whatever he was using.

I have no idea what happened to him.  He was out of the hospital last I heard.

[CarlS]

Sounds quite lucky he didn't get hurt a lot worse.