Teen Possibly Blinded after Fireworks Accident
The Fourth of July is great time to see lots of spectacular fireworks, but after a weekend celebration gone wrong, a Texas boy may not be able to see at all.
About the Accident
Rowdy Radford, 15, lost several fingers and part of his leg and may lose his sight after the accident Saturday night in Sargent, Texas, ABC News 13 reports. His mother wants his story to serve as a warning to other parents to keep a close watch over their children.
At about 11:30pm Saturday, Rowdy was playing with fireworks, according to his mother, when he decided to tape together more than 100 sparklers.
Radford was attempting to set off the homemade sparkler bomb, when the bomb went off and exploded on him, spraying sparkler wires into his eyes. The explosion also caused Radford to have his left leg amputated below the knee and lose several fingers.
The teen was taken by Life Flight to Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he has undergone multiple surgeries. His injuries are extensive, and his mother, Wendy Smith, says doctors are not yet sure if Rowdy will ever see again.
Radford’s mother Wendy Smith warns other families about the dangers of fireworks.
“Because I don’t want them to go through the same pain that Rowdy’s going through.,” Smith said.
Firework Injury Statistics
According to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission about the use of fireworks and wrongful deaths from their use in the United States:
• Fireworks were involved in an estimated 10,500 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during calendar year 2014.
• Of the fireworks-related injuries sustained, 74 percent were to males, and 26 percent were to females.
• Children younger than 15 years of age accounted for 35 percent of the estimated 2014 injuries. Nearly half of the estimated emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries were to individuals younger than 20 years of age.
