On Tuesday, November 26th, 2013, at approximately 5:00 PM, the Marion County Sheriff’s Department was notified by the Baxter Regional Medical Center that a young child was walking through the woods and stepped on an explosive, possibly blowing a foot off. Marion County deputies responded to the scene and the child was transported to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, via Air Evac. Reports from the hospital are still forthcoming, however the injuries, though serious, are not life threatening.
The accident occurred in a neighbor’s yard of the victim. The device was a mixture of powders, when put together are to be used in an “exploding target”, which can be purchased at various retail stores. There was a small amount that had been left in a sandwich bag, laying on a cinder block. The child either stepped or stomped on the bag, causing it to explode, seriously injuring the right foot, and also possibly injuring the left foot and leg from shrapnel.
The Sheriff’s Office would like the public to know this was not a “booby-trap”, nor a random explosive in the woods and there is no need for worry about other devices, meant to cause harm to anyone. The names are not being released at this time and the incident is still under investigation.
