Charles Darwin's Darwin Awards 
HOME
Darwin Awards
Honorable Mentions
Urban Legends
Personal Accounts
Slush Pile
2003 Mentions
Eel Enema
The Last Laugh
A Medical First at Oktoberfest
Happy Camper
Catching the Boat
Go With the Floe
Picture Perfect Cop
Blowtorch and Gunpowder
Off We Go...
Warm Snakes
Other Mention Years 
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 Vintage
 
~ Random Story ~
Newsletter
Gift Shop
Rules  Search
Contact Darwin
Submit a Story
Philosophy Forum
Home

  

Darwin Awards
2003 Honorable Mentions
Email a Friend The stupidity displayed by the participants in the following tales stops short of the ultimate Darwin Awards sacrifice. Nevertheless, we salute the spirit and innovation of their misadventures. Next Prev Random

Blowtorch and Gunpowder
2003 Honorable Mention
Confirmed True by Darwin

(8 July 2003, Moore Township, Pennsylvania) An unidentified 16-year-old boy, and only that boy, was taken by surprise when a bowl of blackpowder blew when it was heated with a blowtorch. At first, he had tried to ignite it with a grill lighter, but when that failed, he decided a blowtorch would do a better job. About that, he was right: the flash was awesome indeed.

The blackpowder explosion caused severe burns to his face, and he admitted to some pain after the jarring incident. "He made a foolish decision and suffered the consequences," said the police chief. This was not the lad's first lesson with gunpowder. A neighbor confided, "He lost one finger to a firecracker accident a few years ago."

Reader Comments:
"The title alone should tell you nothing good will come of this."
"Pyromaniacs pay close attention."
"This story reminds me of your brother. How is he?"
"I think I'll go powder my nose."

DarwinAwards.com © 1994 - 2009
Reference: Express-Times

Awful? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Great?
Hate it! Love it!
Previous Directions Next

The Darwin Awards Gift Shop

The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action

Hardback. 327 pages. Autographed.
$15
185 Stories! In the ongoing saga of Survival of the Fittest, meet the thief who steals electrical wires without shutting off the current! Marvel at the would-be pilot who suspends his lawnchair from helium balloons! Learn from the man who peers into a gas can using a cigarette lighter...!

This book also includes a History of the Darwin Awards, Darwin Haiku, and a dozen humorous discussions of the implications of evolution, including the origin of idiots, and the role of testosterone.

Autographed by Author!

 


Advanced Search

HomeRulesFAQsAwardsSlushSite Map
DarwinAward | HonorableMention | PersonalAccount | UrbanLegend