California Beach Cleanup Turns Tragic After Man Picks Up Explosive Device and Loses Hand

A Northern California man lost his hand after an explosive device went off while he was helping clean up debris from Fourth of July fireworks on a beach, according to his family.

Jason Turner and his girlfriend, Pamala, were walking along Point St. George Beach in Del Norte County on Sunday with plans to pick up trash, his daughter Ashley Turner wrote on a GoFundMe page created for the family.

The fundraiser said Turner picked up what was described as “a bomb-like device,” which then exploded without warning.

Pamala told CBS News Sacramento that she used her shirt to make a tourniquet in an effort to slow Turner’s bleeding until emergency crews arrived.

In a social media statement, the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to the beach after reports of an explosion. Responding officers found Turner in the parking lot suffering from what authorities described as a “significant injury to his hand.”

Ashley Turner said her father’s hand had to be amputated and that he is awaiting additional surgeries. The GoFundMe page also said he suffered vision and hearing damage in the blast.

“My dad will be going into additional surgeries for his eyes. He has metal fragments stuck in his eyes,” Ashley Turner wrote in a Wednesday update. “His right ear drum is blown and he has no hearing out of it.”

The fundraiser also explained that Turner is the sole provider for his family of seven, and two of his children are still in school.

As of Friday afternoon, nearly $100,000 has been raised to help with Turner’s ongoing medical costs. His daughter said his injuries may be permanent.

The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office searched the beach and launched an investigation into what caused the explosion.

“If you find a suspected explosive device do not touch it. Move away to a safe distance and immediately contact law-enforcement,” the sheriff’s office said.

INC News reached out to the sheriff’s office for comment.