A horrific firecracker accident which left an Illawarra man incontinent and unable to have sex has prompted warnings from police and health authorities.
The 26-year-old man suffered a fractured pelvis and severe burns to his genital area after a firecracker exploded between the cheeks of his buttocks.
An ambulance was called to Dapto's Reed Park about 2.30am on August 10 after reports that the man was haemorrhaging from the buttocks. He was transported to Wollongong Hospital in a serious but stable condition, and he is expected to remain in hospital for several months.
The man suffered extensive injuries from the explosion and required emergency surgery. He now has a colostomy and a catheter, and is sexually dysfunctional.
Dr McCurdie said he believed the man had stumbled while the firecracker was in his buttocks, and fell down on it.
"By virtue of the fact that the explosion was confined in an upward direction, it went up into his pelvis, blasted a great hole in the pelvis, ruptured the urethra, injured muscles in the floor of the pelvis which rendered him incontinent.
"His pelvis was also fractured," Dr McCurdie said. He said he had never seen a similar injury to the genital area before.
Another "Jackass" wanna be
The 26-year-old man suffered a fractured pelvis and severe burns to his genital area after a firecracker exploded between the cheeks of his buttocks.
An ambulance was called to Dapto's Reed Park about 2.30am on August 10 after reports that the man was haemorrhaging from the buttocks. He was transported to Wollongong Hospital in a serious but stable condition, and he is expected to remain in hospital for several months.
The man suffered extensive injuries from the explosion and required emergency surgery. He now has a colostomy and a catheter, and is sexually dysfunctional.
Dr McCurdie said he believed the man had stumbled while the firecracker was in his buttocks, and fell down on it.
"By virtue of the fact that the explosion was confined in an upward direction, it went up into his pelvis, blasted a great hole in the pelvis, ruptured the urethra, injured muscles in the floor of the pelvis which rendered him incontinent.
"His pelvis was also fractured," Dr McCurdie said. He said he had never seen a similar injury to the genital area before.
Another "Jackass" wanna be
