BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Broward County man lost one of his hands in an overnight fireworks accident Saturday, a sheriff’s office spokesperson said.
In a news release, Broward Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carey Codd said at around 1 a.m., dispatchers sent deputies and fire rescue crews to the 4400 block of North State Road 7.
First responders arrived to find that someone had already taken the man to a nearby hospital, but they did find his hand, Codd said.
Broward Sheriff’s Fire Rescue crews took the man’s hand to that hospital and subsequently transferred the man and his hand to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale for treatment.
A friend of the victim told Local 10 News that surgeons were not able to reattach the man’s hand.
“As soon as he light it, it went off in flames,” said the man, who did not want to reveal his identity. “He was in shock, but he was calm. It was like his hand was bleeding, we put ice, we tied his elbow so less blood flow.”
He says a friend rushed the injured man to the hospital.
Radio transmission from dispatch revealed that several people were screaming when the call came in.
South Florida firefighters spent the days leading up to the Fourth of July holiday encouraging people to leave fireworks to the professionals or, barring that, to handle them safely.