Source: NFL / Getty
New York Giants Jason Pierre-Paul knows the importance of fireworks safety all too well, as he lost a finger and was severely injured last July 4th when he lit a professional firework that exploded in his hand. Pierre-Paul is starring in a new fireworks safety PSA to make sure no one else has an accident like his.
Pierre-Paul was hospitalized for weeks after the incident. While on Good Morning America he offered a simple piece of advice, “Leave the fireworks to the professionals.”
In the PSA, Pierre-Paul says, “In a split second it blew off my whole hand.” He continued, “All I could do was think about my son and was I going to make it? Now I’m truly blessed to be alive. Now when I look at fireworks I think about safety.”
It’s reported that over 200 people are taken to the hospital daily in the months surrounding the 4th of July. Professional fireworks aren’t the only types of fireworks that can cause serious injury. Sparklers are a favorite of children, but they can burn as hot as a blow torch.
Be careful this weekend, and remember to practice safe habbits around fireworks. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Read more on the story here and check out Pierre-Paul’s PSA here.
