Nick Beheng, 31, survived a live mortar round shot into his chest, which prompted a bomb squad call to Regions Hospital, where he was being held at, before doctors could remove the firework.
Commander Paul Sommer, a spokesperson with the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office stated of Nick’s injury that:
“I can’t think of a case where someone was impacted by an unexploded device that penetrated that deeply into their chest cavity.”
Beheng was shooting illegal fireworks off in Linwood Township, Minnesota around 9 p.m. on Saturday. KARE-11 reports that he placed two mortar rounds in a tube and was holding the tube when the first round successfully shot out the top of the tube. The second round, however, came out of the tube’s bottom, which was pointed directly at the man’s chest.
Sommer described the explosion by saying, “It was almost like it was fired out of a gun.” Two witnesses, who called 911, reported that Beheng immediately fell to the ground, his chest cavity ripped open. He was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where doctors began to operate his wound.
They were forced to stop and call the bomb squad when they discovered the still live round in his chest. Sommer reported that:
“The staff was nervous about the danger of the unexploded device that they contacted the St. Paul Police.”
Doctors were able to remove the live round, and Nick Beheng remains in critical condition. Hie family released the following statement about the accident:
“Nick has a long recovery ahead of him. Thank you for your prayers and support during this difficult time. We would like to thank the first responders, surgeons and medical staff at Regions Hospital who are caring for our son. We are confident he’s getting the best care possible.”
