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Darwin Awards
2004 At-Risk Survivor
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

Exploding Boat
2004 At-Risk Survivor
Confirmed True by Darwin

(11 April 2004, Pompano Beach, Florida) Harry, 44, and Richard, 47, narrowly avoided earning a double Darwin when they accidentally blew up their fishing boat. They had stopped at a gas station to fill up the boat's gas tank. Unfortunately, they put the nozzle into one of the fishing-rod holders instead of into the gas tank, sending fuel throughout the boat. With gasoline sloshing around in the bilge and forming a vapor cloud, the two men drove merrily on, looking forward to a great day of fishing.

They launched the boat, and the boat floated quietly in the calm water--until they pushed the starter on the engine. The spark from the engine instantly ignited the vapor cloud surrounding the men. The force of the blast knocked them both to the deck. The 26-foot boat was engulfed in flames and destroyed, along with part of the nearby dock. Firefighters spent 10 minutes trying to control the blaze.

Harry was treated and released from the emergency room. Richard was transferred to the burn unit, and released the next day. "It certainly was a horrible lesson to learn about boating," said the Pompano Beach Fire-Rescue spokesperson.

DarwinAwards.com © 1994 - 2009
Submitted by: Jerry Taylor
Reference: wftv.com, Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, St. Petersburg Times

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The Darwin Awards Gift Shop

Darwin Awards II: Unnatural Selection

Hardback. 240 pages. Autographed.
$15
A fresh collection of magnificent misadventures! Lust, Vanity, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Envy, and Wrath extract an evolutionary toll on the wicked. Salute the owner of an equipment training school who demonstrates the dangers of driving a forklift by failing to survive the filming of his own safety video. Witness the man who becomes a victim of his own strange passion for jumping into rivers. Heed the honest bricklayer who loses a battle of wits with 300 pounds of tools.

This book includes more History of the Awards, Gordon's Law, and 10 discussions of evolution, including speciation and the role of verbal memes in civilization.

Autographed by Author!

 

 


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