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Don't be a 4th of July statistic: An Airman's story

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Felicia Sanders
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Safety
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  The summer before his senior year in high school, Airman 1st Class Sean Huntley was celebrating the Fourth of July the same way most Americans do: By setting off some fireworks with friends.

"We bought several hundred dollars worth of fireworks," said Huntley, now a KC-135 Stratotanker crew chief assigned to the 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 931st Air Refueling Group, here. "We started lighting them off. About halfway through we were lighting the big two-and-a-half inch mortars, the ones that go off in the sky and make the big boom."

According to Huntley, the group started off with safety in mind. They carefully followed the manufacturer's instructions and ensured the mortar tubes were securely nailed down. They then proceeded to drop a mortar in the tube, light it, and walk away to a safe distance to watch the explosion.

However, as the evening wore on, Huntley said he and his friends began neglecting to take safety into consideration.

"For some reason we started shooting off the fireworks while holding the tube in our hand. Everything was going fine up until the very last one," he said.

Huntley had the honor of firing off the final firework of the evening. He held the mortar tube as he slid the last firework inside and lit the fuse. He waited for it to come rocketing out and into the air. But before the mortar fired from the tube, it malfunctioned and exploded in the palm of his hand.

"It felt like someone had grabbed my thumb and ripped it from my hand," said Huntley.
The blast from the firework had torn a gaping hole in his flesh, and the skin of his hand was severely burned. Huntley was rushed to the emergency room with severe trauma to his right hand.

"There were about five other people in the emergency room that night that had the same type of injury, and they were completely missing three or four fingers," said Huntley. "I was lucky enough to keep all of mine."

Even with his "good luck," Huntley still had to undergo a surgical procedure to repair his hand, followed by six months of physical therapy to regain full use and sensation.

As it turns out, Huntley was one of an estimated 8,500 people who are treated each year for firework related injuries according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Now, five years later and fully recovered, Huntley said he wants to share his story with the hopes that others can learn from his mistake and can avoid becoming a firework injury statistic.

His advice for dealing with fireworks is simple.

"Follow the written guidelines," he said. "They are there for a reason."