A man’s hand was severed when an explosive device unexpectedly detonated as he was clearing away fireworks remnants from a Northern California beach following the Fourth of July celebrations.
On Sunday, Jason Turner and his companion, Pamala, strolled along Point St. George Beach in Del Norte County with the goal of picking up trash, as detailed in a GoFundMe page created by his daughter Ashley Turner.
The online fundraiser describes how Turner came into contact with what appeared to be a “bomb-like device,” which detonated without warning.
An undated photograph of Jason Turner, who suffered the loss of his hand after inadvertently handling an explosive object on Point St. George Beach, Del Norte County, California. (GoFundMe)
Pamala recounted to CBS News Sacramento how she improvised a tourniquet using her shirt to control Turner’s bleeding until emergency personnel arrived on the scene.
The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on social media that their deputies responded to reports of an explosion at the beach. When they arrived, they found Turner in the parking lot with a “significant injury to his hand.”
Ashley Turner said her father had to have his hand amputated and is waiting to undergo more surgeries. He is also dealing with vision and hearing loss as a result of the explosion, according to the GoFundMe.
“My dad will be going into additional surgeries for his eyes. He has metal fragments stuck in his eyes,” Ashley Turner wrote in a Wednesday update. “His right ear drum is blown and he has no hearing out of it.”
An undated photo of Jason Turner driving an excavator. Turner lost his hand on Sunday after picking up an unknown explosive device on Point St. George Beach in Del Norte County, California. (GoFundMe)
The fundraiser also explained that Turner is the sole provider for his family of seven, and two of his children are still in school.
As of Friday afternoon, nearly $100,000 has been raised to help with Turner’s ongoing medical costs. His daughter said his injuries may be permanent.
The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office searched the beach and launched an investigation into what caused the explosion.
Outcrop of St. George formation sedimentary rock, as part of a sea cliff at Point St. George (Grigory Heaton)
“If you find a suspected explosive device do not touch it. Move away to a safe distance and immediately contact law-enforcement,” the sheriff’s office said.
News Media reached out to the sheriff’s office for comment.