DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. -- A 35-year-old man rang in the new year by completely blowing off his right hand while loading fireworks in a canister on the beach near Minerva Road in Daytona Beach Shores, according to multiple media reports.
The victim, Gene Hartwell, and his toddler daughter were covered in blood when he ran to his nearby home with her to have his wife call 9-1-1. Hartwell was subsequently rushed to Halifax Health Medical Center where he received medical attention. The hospital did not release information Friday on Hartwell's condition.
Attempts by the Volusia County Beach Patrol to try and recover the man's severed hand were unsuccessful. All that was left were fragments in the blood-stained sand. According to an incident report from the Beach Patrol, 35-year-old Gene Hartwell was filling a PVC pipe with powder from other fireworks when it exploded.
Attempts by the Volusia County Beach Patrol to try and recover the man's severed hand were unsuccessful. All that was left were fragments in the blood-stained sand. According to an incident report from the Beach Patrol, 35-year-old Gene Hartwell was filling a PVC pipe with powder from other fireworks when it exploded.
Bystanders said they didn't see Hartwell because it was pitch black on the beach, but heard the explosion and the unmistakable sounds of human wailing.
"Horrific. It was just a really loud scream. I've never heard someone scream like that," Brayden Smith told WESH TV's Claire Metz.
Lighting off fireworks on the beach is against the law, but thousands of locals do it anyway during holidays like New Years and Fourth of July.
Headline Surfer® confirmed the incident through the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.