Man Explodes at Grand Central Station
Another exploding device gains media coverage.
-
by Dave Cross
Share on:
Sparks and flames began to shoot out of his trousers and was caught on the in-store security camera. “It was the scariest thing that ever happened in my life,” Gooding commented while lying in his hospital bed, “I am glad that I'm alive. I seen the sparks and was trying to get it out of my pocket, then I heard an explosion, it was like firecrackers, a couple of booms.”
The vaper was whisked away to a burns unit, at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he spent three hours in surgery as clinicians grafted skin from his hip to treat the injured areas.
Sanford Rubenstein, Gooding’s lawyer, spoke to Al Jones from CBS New York: “There is a danger and the FDA really has to seriously consider banning the sale of these e-cigarettes, until the manufacturers determine what’s causing these explosions.” Rubenstein went on to point out that he’d be making reference to the FDA’s documented 92 other cases of exploding batteries as he pushed for a financial settlement for his client.
Josh, his brother, is reported as saying: “He’s going through a lot of pain up there and I’ve never seen such a thing.”
The pain resulted from his attempts to remove the Wismec Reuleaux RX200 from his pocket. Gooding said: “I was trying to get it out but it was too hot to handle so I dropped it on the ground. I knew I was hurt, but I didn't know how badly, and I know I'm going to have scars – the pain is terrible.”
The police who attended the scene instructed Gooding to apply cold water immediately to the affected areas. The fire brigade that appraised the situation believe the accident happen because the lithium-ion cell vented.
Vapers who are familiar with the device will appreciate that the chance of this happening while a cell is in the mod is exceptionally rare. Many might suspect Gooding was also carrying spare cells loose in his pocket, they could well be right. This was discussed on the POTV forum here - *Sigh* Another pocket explision.
Forum stalwart, mannikon, found a good photo of the contents of the man's pocket, shown below, and summed it up as "Found a larger image of the aftermath and it looks like there were three brown cells in the RX and three unwrapped cells and lots of coins. Stupid."
The device came from a local store called Vape Easy in Manhattan, and the owners are keen to stress safety. “We're very intense about battery safety,” the owner is quoted as saying – and the shop has signs up telling customers not to place batteries in their pockets.
Meanwhile, Gooding told New York Daily News that he is unsure if he’ll ever be able to work again. Obviously this is nothing to do with his legal claim and his fears about being able to walk normally again are fully justified. To us though it looks like a clear case of negligence, never ever carry batteries loose in your pocket or bag, if you do the results can be life-changing.
Photo Credit:
Images from the Central Cellars CCTV footage
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
Join the discussion
Parliament Fears Two
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs faced questions from a Conservative MP and, oddly, a member of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
-
by Dave Cross
Harm Reduction For The Rich
The United Kingdom risks becoming a harm reduction country only for the wealthy, according to Michael Landl of the World Vapers’ Alliance
-
by Dave Cross
Sacrificing Health For 2p Cut
Tory Government alienates vaping voters with its mission to cut tax by an unaffordable 2p to attract voters by placing a tax on vape products in the forthcoming budget
-
by Dave Cross
Scotland Announces Single-Use Vape Action
A ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland is due to come into effect on 1 April 2025, under proposed legislation published today
-
by Dave Cross
