Firework may have injured boy

Published 5:18 pm Tuesday, April 5, 2011

An explosion that seriously injured a 10-year-old boy last Friday may have been caused by a firework, according to Bainbridge Public Safety.

BPS Investigator Chris Jordan said he would not comment on the final determination of what caused the blast that injured T.J. Andrews in the back room of Riverside Haircuts on Faceville Highway.

However, Investigator Jordan confirmed that BPS officers had found the apparent remnants of a large firework, as well as a butane lighter, in the back room of the salon.

Email newsletter signup

Firefighters said the blast was powerful enough to knock a closed door off its hinges and knock a water faucet knob off of a sink. An emergency medical helicopter landed at the Earle May Boat Basin around 5 p.m. Friday and took Andrews to Tallahassee (Fla.) Memorial Hospital.

Andrews is at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Fla., and underwent surgery on Monday, according to posts family members made on his Facebook page.

People who would like to leave him a message can search for the event page titled “Prayers for T.J. Andrews.