A man lost two fingers after a discarded firework exploded in his hand, melting his clothes to his skin. The man, who has asked not to be named, was tidying up after a fireworks display in Aigburth when the accident happened on Wednesday, November 1.
Karli Dyce, related to the injured man, told us: "He had equipment to pick them up, but the litter picker wasn't big enough to grasp the firework."
She added: "He bent down and picked it up with his hand when it exploded. He was working alone but was lucky a woman was passing by who witnessed what happened. She called an ambulance for him. He only had his first surgery last night – he has lost two fingers.
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She continued, "His clothes melted to his skin and he had shrapnel injuries all over his body. His eye was also injured but luckily he won't lose his sight. The main thing is he could have lost his hand."
Karli said her relative was taken to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital following the incident and remains there now.
Speaking to the ECHO, she said: "He's been told he'll need multiple surgeries. He's not in a good headspace at the moment. The severity of the incident is really sinking in. This will cause a significant impact on his life. He could never work again."
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Karli mentioned that they do not wish to disclose the relative or his employer's name at this time. However, she emphasised the importance of understanding the risks associated with handling fireworks, especially with Bonfire Night just around the corner.
She expressed her family's distress, saying they were "distraught and heartbroken" and that "no one's lives will be the same" after the horrifying incident. She added: "How many of us would pick up and throw away an unlit, seemingly unused firework? I am in my 30s and never knew discarded fireworks could go off like that."
"It was abandoned. How many of us have them at a party or in our garden and just pick them up. Apparently you have to drench them in water before touching them. I've always hated the public sale of fireworks but now more than ever it shows how unsafe they can be."
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A spokesperson for North West Ambulance Service confirmed that an ambulance and a response vehicle attended the scene and transported a patient to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
The Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service website advises: "fireworks are explosives and should be treated with respect". They added: "Misusing fireworks can lead to serious and permanent injury, including the loss of fingers, serious burns and even sight loss."
Folks are urged to only buy fireworks from registered shops, keep them in a closed box, light them at arm's length, stand back, watch over kids and never approach a lit firework.
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