OT: Blue Jackets Goalie Dies after fireworks accident

[purplefaithful]

Man, how sad is this? 24 years young



Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast in what authorities described Monday as a tragic accident on the Fourth of July.Police in Novi, Michigan, said the firework tilted slightly and started to fire toward people nearby Sunday night. The 24-year-old Kivlenieks was in a hot tub and tried to get clear with several other people, police Lt. Jason Meier said. Authorities earlier said the Lativan had died of an apparent head injury during a fall, but an autopsy clarified the cause of death.
The fire department and EMTs got to the private home shortly after 10 p.m. and took Kivlenieks to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Meier said. The Oakland County Medical Examiner's office reported preliminary autopsy results Monday afternoon.
Prior to the autopsy, police said Kivlenieks was believed to have slipped and hit his head on concrete while running from a malfunctioning firework.
"At the moment, we're pretty certain this was a tragic accident," Meier said.
The Blue Jackets and Latvian Hockey Federation announced Kivlenieks' death, with the NHL club initially saying it resulted from an apparent head injury in a fall. The team's statement made no mention of fireworks.
Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen tweeted: "Life is so precious and can be so fragile. Hug your loved ones today. RIP Matiss, you will be dearly missed." Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson called it a "devastating time" for the team.
https://www.startribune.com/blue-jackets...600075120/

[Guest]

How tragic. I'd read the first reports that mentioned a head injury. 

[Guest]

There are something like over 15,000 injuries in the U.S. every 4th of July weekend annually. Not sure why its escalated to these borderline mortar rounds for fireworks, but some people like their loud bangs. 

[Guest]

Tragic and totally preventable. 

[Guest]

@"BarrNone55" said:
Tragic and totally preventable. 

most accidental deaths are.

[Guest]

Sounds like someone wanted a better headline that "sports figure dies from slip and fall head injury".  Adding the fireworks angle gives the preachers something to latch onto.

[Guest]

@greediron said:
Sounds like someone wanted a better headline that "sports figure dies from slip and fall head injury".  Adding the fireworks angle gives the preachers something to latch onto.

Well, my interpretation is that they were probably sitting in a hot tub shooting off fireworks and then one started firing off towards them causing them to try and jump out of the hot tub rather abruptly. This is very sad, fireworks are nothing to be nonchalant about...you have to be in full control when lighting them off

[Guest]

24 is way too young. So damn sad. 

[Guest]

@Hawkvike25 said:

@greediron said:
Sounds like someone wanted a better headline that "sports figure dies from slip and fall head injury".  Adding the fireworks angle gives the preachers something to latch onto.

Well, my interpretation is that they were probably sitting in a hot tub shooting off fireworks and then one started firing off towards them causing them to try and jump out of the hot tub rather abruptly. This is very sad, fireworks are nothing to be nonchalant about...you have to be in full control when lighting them off

and I am sure alcohol was not a contributing factor at all.   I am as guilty as anybody over the years,  but really shooting off aerial fireworks should carry the same restrictions as a firearm.

[Guest]

@JimmyinSD said:

@Hawkvike25 said:

@greediron said:
Sounds like someone wanted a better headline that "sports figure dies from slip and fall head injury".  Adding the fireworks angle gives the preachers something to latch onto.

Well, my interpretation is that they were probably sitting in a hot tub shooting off fireworks and then one started firing off towards them causing them to try and jump out of the hot tub rather abruptly. This is very sad, fireworks are nothing to be nonchalant about...you have to be in full control when lighting them off

and I am sure alcohol was not a contributing factor at all.   I am as guilty as anybody over the years,  but really shooting off aerial fireworks should carry the same restrictions as a firearm.

So really not much at all?  :p