HUNTINGTON COUNTY, Ind. — An Indiana man died early Sunday while setting off fireworks with his family when a mortar shell exploded.
First responders attempted to save 41-year-old Stephen E. Sims of Hartford City after finding him with blast wounds to his abdomen at about 12:20 a.m., The Kansas City Star reported.
Sims died of his injuries, WANE confirmed.
According to a statement issued by the coroner’s office and obtained by the Star, initial findings indicate the mortar shell “exploded inside the tube, causing the pressure to breach the side of the tube, and striking the victim.”
Deputy Coroner Phil Zahm told WPTA that the accidental death is “heartbreaking,” noting that Sims was standing about five feet from the fireworks mortar when it exploded.
“With the family on the scene, that’s probably the worst part of it,” Zahm told the TV station.
An autopsy and results of toxicology tests are pending, according to the coroner’s statement.