11-Year-Old Indiana Boy Dies After Holiday Fireworks Accident

Indiana police said Monday that an 11-year-old boy died after a fireworks accident Sunday night in the southwestern part of the state.

According to Indiana State Police, Camrynn Ray Michael of Mount Vernon died while being taken to Evansville Hospital with serious injuries after ''a fireworks incident'' at 9:42 p.m.

''A child has died as a result of a fireworks incident,'' Mount Vernon police said in a press release Monday on Facebook. ''Mt. Vernon Police, Indiana State Police, and the Posey County Coroner's Office are investigating the death. The incident took place within the city limits of Mt. Vernon. No further details will be released at this time.''

Indiana State Police are leading the investigation and an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, police said.

The Indianapolis television station FOX 59 reported that the mother of the child shared a photo of her son with his sister, and said he loved playing basketball and football.

''But more than that he loved his sister,'' she told the station. ''He died being a boy and playing with fireworks. A tragic freak accident, seriously. Fireworks are no joke and when you think it won't be yours, in the blink of an eye it is.''

Injuries due to fireworks, a traditional part of Fourth of July celebrations, have been rising since 2006, increasing at a rate of 274 per year, or 25%, according to a June report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Nine people died last year, including six from ''misuse'' of fireworks, according to the report.

U.S. hospitals treated an estimated 8,500 patients for fireworks-related injuries over the last month, which is about 74% of the 11,500 total fireworks-related injuries reported for the year, the report said.

While adults between 25 and 44 made up 32% of those injured, children younger than 15 accounted for 29% of the reported injuries.

Hands and fingers were the most often injured body parts, primarily from burns, according to the report.

Fireworks-related deaths and injuries spiked during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, according to the CPSC, with 18 people killed and more than 15,000 injured, with 66% of those taking place in June or July.

''These tragic deaths and injuries are reminders of just how dangerous fireworks can be,'' CPSC acting Chairman Robert Adler said in the June 2021 press release. ''Consumers should enjoy professional fireworks displays from a distance and be extra vigilant when using consumer-type fireworks.'' 

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