VIC:Man loses legs in fun gone wrong

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2011
VIC:Man loses legs in fun gone wrong

Eds: Reissuing, adding name of the paramedic at the scene in first reference



By Joel Cresswell

MELBOURNE, Aug 22 AAP - One man lost both legs and another suffered life-threatening
burns when a homemade explosive device blew up in a suburban Melbourne backyard.

The two men were mixing chemicals in a container in front of a group of neighbours
at a Cannons Creek home, when it exploded shortly after 11pm (AEST) on Sunday.

Both men are now fighting for their lives in Melbourne hospitals.

A paramedic on scene, Ben Meadley, likened the injuries to those typically found in
a war zone, saying a 24-year-old man had "complete or near amputation" of his legs and
a hand.

"One (patient) had severe airway burns and the second patient suffered severe blast-type
injuries, the type of injury you'd more liken to what you'd see in a war situation rather
than in outer suburban Melbourne," he said.

The 24-year-old, with blast injuries and burns to his face and airways, remains in
a critical condition in the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

A 23-year-old Cannons Creek man suffered burns to his face, arms and airways and is
in a critical condition in The Alfred Hospital.

The 24-year-old was given a blood transfusion on the helicopter enroute to hospital.

"Due to his severe blast injuries he'd lost quite a lot of blood," Mr Meadley said.

"We were able to give him quite a bit of blood and resuscitate his blood pressure.

Then we were able to give him some powerful drugs and ... put him into an induced coma."

Paramedics feared the burned airways of both men could close over, so fitted them with
breathing tubes.

Mr Meadley confirmed reports the explosion could be felt in nearby homes.

"I believe a lot of the neighbours who were up to a few hundred metres away felt their
houses rock, so it was quite a large explosion," he told ABC radio.

Neighbour Judy Gibbs also told ABC the explosion shook her house.

"I'd gone to bed and next minute there was this great, big, loud explosion - the windows
in my house shook, the whole house shook," she said.

It's believed the accident was essentially fun gone wrong.

The two men were mixing the chemicals to make an improvised explosive device, possibly
a rocket, in front of neighbours when the explosion occurred.

AAP jcr/gfr/it/gfr

KEYWORD: EXPLOSION 2ND UPDATE (REISSUING)

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