My Uncle Len is another victim of Charles Darwin's Honorable Mentions. Len and Best friend David loved to create fun for themselves that also put them in harms way in every manner possible. So it was always common at family outings to see the two of them scurry off to once again create more of their famed dangerous fun. Except this time Len had the company of his cousin Bob to help. The three of them (Len, David, and Bob) decided to use some of the old bullet powder, lead pipes, and rusted nails and glass to create a rudementary cannon. Pouring what little gun powder came out of the shells, they managed to stuff it all into a thin industrial lead pipe. Having nothing left to use as ammunition, the trio used what glass and nails they found to launch at a barn wall. Housting the cannon outside and placing it carefully, and steadily at the wall, they prepared to launch their fantastic invention. Using a very long treebanch and igniting the end of it, they managed to stick it down the pipe with little or no effort. In a manage of a few seconds later the cannon errupted a very loud "crack" but instead of launching the debris forward, the trio succesfully created a bomb. The lead pipe exploded, sending shrapnel in all directions narrowly missing Bob and Len. Unfortunately a sigle industrial nail hit David staight through his left upper leg. Now, as David was hauled back to the gathering in excrutiating pain, my great Aunt decided not too waste gas and drive to the hospital but to rather take measures into her own hands. Taking David to the washroom and cleaning the nail still in his leg, she took both hands and yanked it out while Davids screams could be heard a mile away. With no effective antibiotics available, she took pure iodine and poured half the bottle directly on the wound. Imagine a razor hot branging iron directly iserted on the inner thigh of a human being. Crying themselves to sleep from the fearful experience, the trio took the next day to create molitove cocktails and throw them at eachother, but this time with no casualties.

Submitted on 03/02/2006

Submitted by: Graeme Kryzanowski
Reference: Alberta, Canada 1960's

Copyright © 2006 DarwinAwards.com

James said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Thanks, Graeme! Nothing like country folk exercizing a bit of pioneer spirit, eh?! Quite amusing, especially the part about your great aunt and her thrifty measures. Add to that the fact that a day later they just kept on reinventing various things known to go "boom" and I think we have a keeper of a PA!

Jorge said:
Neutral: Personal Account

Sheryl said:
Neutral: Other
I'd be interested in seeing the ages of the guys who pulled this stunt. You mention your Uncles and also Great Aunt and the date on the PA is the 1960's.

The Darwin Awards Gift Shop

The Darwin Awards Condom Keep yourself out of the gene pool! A condom in a matchbook, useful for emergency contraception, bachelor parties, frat parties, and important rites of passage. LOADED inside and out with funny quotes and stories. Everyone loves this item! Friends don't let friends reproduce! $13 for Pack of 4