A 12-year-old boy suffered extensive injuries to his right hand Thursday evening while playing with fireworks in a rock pit in the Saxman area.
According to the Alaska State Troopers online dispatch, the boy lit a mortar-type firework that is meant to be placed in a tube with an extended fuse. He did not use a tube, and lit it while holding it in his hand. He then threw the firework, which hit a rock wall and bounced back.
Troopers report that the boy caught the firework in his right hand and before he could throw it again, it exploded. His mother responded to the scene, and was there when the boy was transported to PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center for an initial evaluation.
The boy was medevaced to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for further treatment.
