When Good Times Go Bad

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Sometimes I marvel at how well our kids get along. They tend to have one fight per day, lasting about five minutes, and the other 23 hours and 55 minutes are spent within five feet of each other, playing, laughing, and sleeping.

We try and make them a picture book each year. Lately they’ve just been pouring over them non-stop. Ouest, especially.

We went up to town this day for the Corpus Christi Festival. We didn’t know when, where, or what was going to be going on, so we just headed up early to spend the afternoon hanging out.

As we stood on the sidewalk watching the band play, this guy was shooting off rockets in the middle of the plaza. While the family listened to the music, I walked over and took this picture, thinking even as I took it that I would caption it with something along the lines of, “This seems safe in the middle of a busy plaza.”

We left that plaza, and walked over to the main plaza to have some dinner and get ready for the Festival. We didn’t know what all that would entail, but based on the preparations we had seen, it seemed that it was going to be a pretty big deal.

After dinner we could see a big group of people marching around the plaza with the band from earlier leading the way. We found a spot to sit and watch them go by, then heard a bigger band firing up on the other side of the plaza. It’s a big plaza, so we couldn’t really see what was going on over there and decided to just wander over. We got up, walked down the sidewalk, and turned onto the path that leads across through the center of the plaza. As we did so, the guy with the fireworks had just lit off another round. We stopped in our tracks to wait. I had the camera on my shoulder and lifted it up just in time to snap this picture.

When I was a young boy my dad worked in insurance. From day one he told me to stay away from fireworks. I didn’t listen, of course. But when my best friend nearly blew his fingers off, and went deaf in one ear for a few weeks because we were goofing around with firecrackers, I came around to dad’s way of thinking. As such, I’m the guy who hates fireworks. I hate the little spinning ones, I hate firecrackers, I even hate sparklers. My kids have never had any of this stuff, and as long as I can help it, they won’t. All of this to say that we didn’t walk onto this sidewalk meaning to arrive just as Mexican bottle rocket bombs (if you’ve ever been to Mexico you know how huge these things are) were being launched.

You can see where this story is going.

We turned the corner a second after these were lit. In the next second I took this picture. And literally one second later we were deafened as a double wave of heat slammed us backwards. In another second I was running with Ouest, and Ali was in front of me running with Lowe.

There had been a massive explosion.

We ducked behind the big stone bench we had been sitting on moments before, and then I turned and ran back. It really looked like a scene from a movie—smoke filled the air, and debris floated in the sky. The first person I saw was that man, lying on the ground about where the lady with the black purse is in the picture. He was holding his thigh and screaming, “Mi pierna!” My leg.

His leg was gone.

Probably because Ali and I had just watched a war movie earlier in the week, I pulled off my belt and wrapped it tight around what was left of his thigh as he continued to cry out.

I know absolutely nothing about how to handle a situation like this, so it was fortunate, in a weird way, that this was a big festival, because within fifteen seconds there were a dozen cops and medics running towards us. I went back to Ali and the kids—by some miracle we were all fine. Not a scratch, not a burn, despite being twenty feet away from the explosion.

I don’t know that anyone knows exactly what happened, but that big black garbage bag in the picture, the one completely filled with huge three-foot tall bottle rocket bombs, just three-feet away from those two beautiful kids, exploded, all at once.

Somehow those kids survived. I honestly don’t know how. They suffered minor first-degree burns and were released from the hospital that night. The lady, I assume his wife, was also more-or-less uninjured.

We had many long conversations with the kids the next few days. They didn’t see any of the aftermath, but they know what happened and what the effects were. For a couple of days I was feeling pretty shaken up myself. I think in large part because as a father I feel the ultimate responsibility to protect my kids. I feel a little like I let them down by not having backed them away from the situation before it happened, but I also realize that even if I had thought to get us out of there, it would have been too late. It was an accident—one that we can be thankful for having escaped unscathed.

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29 Comments on “When Good Times Go Bad”

  1. Hi Pat and Ali, so glad you guys are ok. What an experience! Thanks for sharing your story. After living in Thailand where huge explosive fireworks are being lit by amateurs daily, I totally understand your plight. I’ve had huge fireworks explode in the middle of the restaurant we were dining in. It’s scary stuff. When I was 12 we came across some fireworks including a M80. After lighting the fuse and while fingers plugging my ears I walked backwards away from the impending blast directly into a jaccuzi smashing my head on the step. I’ve been gun shy ever since! Anyway, glad you guys are well.

    Edan

  2. Thanks for sharing, Pat, and glad you and your family came away intact.

    Life has its risks as your Dad understood well. I like reading your blog because of the unusual nature of your family’s life. Some would call your life risky, but you’ve struck a nice cord.

    Immediately going to help the man says something about your nature. You’re a good man.

    I’ll keep reading as long as you keep posting!

  3. Whoa. I’m so glad it didn’t turn out so much worse for all involved. And honestly, as a mom (mine are 18,15, and 7), I can tell you that those close call moments when we wish we had done better/differently, I carry those with me. They haunt me a little, but also make me more vigilant. I have to sometimes practically chant to myself “it could have turned out so much worse, But It Didn’t”.

  4. Here is the news article from later that night: Patzcuaro, Michoacan. This afternoon was recorded an explosion by pyrotechnics, during the celebration of Corpus Christi, in the Vasco de Quiroga square, in the heart of Patzcuaro that left three wounded: a man and two children, material which was transferred by the adult in a bag, it was fireworks fling during the Corpus. The accident caused a strong rumble in the also known as the “Plaza Grande”, situation that generated panic in people. The most sensitive patient is “cohetero” Octavio O., of 42-year-old person who suffered burns of first and second grade in the lower back and buttocks, as well as the partial amputation of the left leg. Others affected are the brothers Salvador a., six years of age, first grade in 75 percent of his body burned, and Joana, of 10-year-old with burns also first-degree on 50 percent of her body. Witnesses told police that the male carried the bag of explosives and he was smoking, when the outbreak occurred and fell to the ground.

  5. You see a lot of this kind of behaviour in China, where fireworks are a national pastime. During any given holiday, special occasion, death, birthday, wedding, new moon, old moon, etc. There’s always some idiot (or more often, several idiots) with a cigarette and an assortment of fireworks and a complete disregard for the danger.

    So glad you guys were all ok. Terribly sad that the two other kids suffered for this man’s carelessness.

  6. Tragic for those poor children. Before reading the newspaper report I saw the cigarette in his right hand in the photo. Once while eating in Chinatown in NYC just outside the window there was an old woman selling fireworks sitting on the street out of cardboard boxes and the same thing happened. Luckily I don’t think anyone was hurt but things kept exploding as people ran for several minutes. Very glad to hear you all were safe.

  7. I’m so sorry that you all were exposed to such a horrific event…also so relieved that your family is OK. Your kids did see their Dad try to help another in a crisis…something that will stay with them.

  8. Wow, it must have been quite a shock. I always find it refreshing that everything isn’t forbidden in South America and Mexico, but this shows there is another side to the coin. Strangely enough, the Germans spend millions on fireworks every New Years Eve. And a lot of accidents happen. Everything else is regulated to extremes, but once a year they let all the nut cases explode dangerous fireworks. I am with you Pat, I hate them.

  9. seeing carnage like this is not easy and really fucking hard to process.

    glad you guys are ok.

  10. So frightening. Gave me chills reading Pat’s account. So happy you are all well, but that family is forever changed. How horrible for them all. Thank goodness Pat came back to help him. I agree with Ryan’s comment – we saw unsafe firework situations so often all over SE Asia. Thank you for adding the newspaper story, Ali. The one good thing is your kids will never want to play with fireworks. Ever. Be safe!

  11. That truly is tragic. On a lighter note I’d like to say how much I appreciate getting a glimpse of Michoacán. Many of the immigrants in my area are from that region and I have never known much about it. As you can imagine, Wikipedia doesn’t really do it justice. It must be hard to leave such an interesting and beautiful place just to get a job. America must seem so cold and sterile to them.

  12. You can see he has a cigarette in his right hand as we walks back to the bag of fireworks. Must have dropped it inside! Glad that you are all okay.

  13. Pat and Ali, glad you are all okay. A truly scary accident. Pat, you did some quick thinking with the belt. Not sure a lot of people would have known what to do, or responded as quickly. You and your family have had many wonderful, colorful, enriching learning experiences and this is yet another, though probably one you didn’t want. This is a good reminder to all of us who read your blog, and just before 4th of July, to be aware of how dangerous fireworks are, to be aware of our surroundings, and to stay safe whether home or away. Thank you for sharing your journey, your photos, and your stories.

  14. Oh goodness…this is a graphic reminder of the dangers of all types of explosives. I am sharing get this article with our now 13 year old twins who after 5 years of life in Mexico have been drawn in by the lure and always cautioned to stay back. Thank you for sharing this tragic experience and I am happy your family and the other bystanders are okay for the most part. As for the mama that lost his leg, I am deeply sorry for he and his family.

  15. Just glad your all safe and sound! Have a great summer and come love to here what the next adventure might be coming up..

  16. How terrifying! I’m so glad your beautiful family is safe. Blessings of healing for those injured. And bless you for doing everything that you could in such a situation.

    On another note, I believe that your photos are becoming even more profoundly beautiful. Thank you for sharing your stories and perspectives. Your children are delights and treasures.

  17. Hello Pat and Ali:

    Bruce sent me your latest post.

    I just returned from Chiapas working with Don Sergio. We have so many burn patients secondary to fire crackers. Most recently, a 20-something came in with both hands charred….deep second degree burns, his face suffered as well but it has recovered quickly. The guy’s hands are going to recover and he is paying the price as he shivers in pain with dressing changes, he is so grateful to have not lost his hands. His friend was also burned but not as badly.

    I have seen little kids also suffer from spontaneous firecracker explosions, see the photos on the bottom of this post: http://sergiocastrosc.blogspot.mx/2016/01/progress-at-snails-pace.html

    Your kids learned a valuable lesson and ‘gracias adios’, your family was spared.

    I hate fireworks!
    Love your photos, it warms my heart to see you guys spending so much time with your children.
    pat

  18. Wow! Glad you all are alright. Where we live, most of the homes around us are vacation homes. As such, the city folks come down every weekend in the summer and set off fireworks. Some of them seem to be professional grade, big ones. Like you, I hate it. It scares the dog and keeps me up when I have to work early. I don’t know why those are legal still. Your pics are great BTW. I followed you guys long enough (10 years now I think) to see your progression and I can see how they have gotten better and better. They could hang in any gallery. You should sell them online.

    1. Thanks, Brett. Always good to hear from you. It’s inevitable that our photography would improve, I suppose, when carrying a camera around every day for years and years. I look back now and shake my head at some of our early efforts. 🙂 But we all have to start somewhere.

  19. Thanks, everyone. We are all fine. The man did lose his leg, but the kids are okay, from what I was able to find out. Also, I didn’t do anything to save the man’s life. The medics were on the scene within seconds. I like to think I would have been of some help had there not been so many police and medics close by, but I’m certainly thankful that they were, and I’m sure the injured man would say the same.

    Anyway, please be careful this Fourth of July holiday. I’d hate to hear of any of you having a similar experience out there.

  20. Wow. That was scary just to read about. I’m so glad that everyone involved will be okay and your family is well. Love reading your blog. Thanks for sharing your life with all us strangers. You’re my favourite part of the internet.

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