Saturday, July 4, 2009 will probably define July 4th on Ocracoke Island for years to come. I am sure many of you have heard of the tragedy that struck here that morning.
Melrose Pyrotechnics has put on the 4th of July fireworks show for the last 2 years. This would have been their third show on Ocracoke. If you have been here for the fireworks the last couple of years then you know they were great! I posted pictures on the 4th of July blog last year. Five crew members were preparing to unload the 18 wheeler truck that was filled with fireworks for this year's show. The truck was parked in a parking lot behind the NCCAT building by the Swan Quarter/Cedar Island ferry docks. When the trailer doors were opened there was an explosion...followed by more explosions. The walls, doors and roof were blown apart as several fireworks detonated inside the trailer. The crew members, 4 men and 1 woman, were all caught directly in the blasts.
Several members of the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department were already on site. They assist each year by wetting down the grounds before set up and before the show and they are on hand in case anything happens. This year they were also eyewitnesses to tragedy. Besides the fire department several ferry employees and a couple of NCCAT employees were there and saw first hand the terrible event and the results. These people will suffer this memory for a long time to come...most likely forever. There were some minor injuries among the firemen and at least one NCCAT employee. There was also damage to some vehicles, including the van or SUV that belonged to the fireworks crew.
The fire department and other witnesses at the scene immediately sprang into action...even as shocked as they must have initially been. It was too late for one crew member who was killed in the blast but the other 4 were still alive and must have been in great pain. Assistance was immediately called for from others on the island and off island. Several visitors in the medical field on the island quickly realized the seriousness of the situation and rushed to assist. EMS and fire departments from Hatteras, Frisco and Buxton arrived as fast as they could get here.
Medical helicopters from Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville, NC and Dare MedFlight out of Dare County also responded and flew the 4 injured crew members off the island. Two of them went to Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, NC and two went to the burn center at the UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, NC. Sadly, within 24 hours, 3 more crew members had passed away. The sole survivor remains in the burn center in Chapel Hill with burns over 20% of his body and is listed in fair condition.
The FBI, SBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Company and a representative from Melrose Pyrotechnics came out to investigate and remove any undetonated fireworks. It was determined that it was an accident.
A news story that I read today said that all of the crew members belonged to the same church and their friends and families are absolutely devastated. Each person has their own story and I have no doubt they will all be missed by many. I know they will never be forgotten here.
These people came here planning to entertain us at the end of a day full of celebration. They planned to spend the weekend fishing and enjoying life. No one knew that fate would alter those plans in such a horrific fashion.
The community of Ocracoke is truly in mourning for the loss of these four lives. We will keep them and their families, as well as the survivor and his family, in our thoughts, prayers and hearts and we will try to assist them all in any way we can.
We are eternally thankful for the quick response and professional actions of all of the emergency services...firemen, EMT's, medical helicopters...all who came. You are our heroes! Thank you to those who stayed back to let these people do what needed to be done!
The community held a prayer service on Saturday afternoon and a candle light vigil Saturday night for prayer and remembrance. The Ocracoke Olde Time Parade was postponed until Sunday, July 5th. I am sure it was a hard decision whether to even have the parade at all. In a wonderful, touching gesture it was decided to have a "Silent Parade" to memorialize the victims and to honor the people in emergency services who worked so hard. At the end of the parade, instead of the usual awarding of the prizes, there were prayers and songs. A fireman's boot was passed around to collect donations for the victim's families and for the lone survivor.
Terrible things happen every day all over the world but when something like this happens "in your own backyard" it causes much reflection. There are "what if's"..."What if I had been standing just a few feet to the left?" or "What if it happened 1 minute later...or earlier?". Reflection on how one second can change or affect so many lives and you just never know when, or if, that one second will happen. We are reminded to cherish each moment we have because you just never know. We are newly driven to let friends and family know how much we love them and how much we care. Each moment of every day is a gift and we must not take that for granted.
In honor of the deceased:
Terry Holland
Lisa Simmons
Charles Kirkland, Jr
Mark Hill
and the survivor whose name I do not know.