September 3, 2003 - 4:04PM

A firecracker accident which left a 26-year-old man incontinent and unable to have sex has prompted warnings from police and health authorities about imitating stunts from the cult prankster film Jackass.

It is not known whether the Illawarra man had been imitating Jackass, in which men place firecrackers in their buttocks and fire them into the air.

They also stick toy cars up their buttocks, snort wasabi and apply electrical muscle stimulators to their genitals.

The movie carries a warning not to imitate the actions.

The man suffered a fractured pelvis and severe burns to his genital area after a firecracker exploded between the cheeks of his buttocks.

An ambulance was called to Dapto's Reed Park about 2.30am on August 10 after reports that the man was haemorrhaging from the buttocks. He was transported to Wollongong Hospital in a serious but stable condition, and he is expected to remain in hospital for several months.

The man suffered extensive injuries from the explosion and required emergency surgery. He now has a colostomy and a catheter, and is sexually dysfunctional.

He will be assessed by a colorectal surgeon to determine whether his injuries can be corrected.

Illawarra Health emergency surgeon Dr Robert McCurdie, who operated on the man when he was taken to Wollongong Hospital, likened the man's condition to "a war injury".

Dr McCurdie said he believed the man had stumbled while the firecracker was in his buttocks, and fell down on it.

"By virtue of the fact that the explosion was confined in an upward direction, it went up into his pelvis, blasted a great hole in the pelvis, ruptured the urethra, injured muscles in the floor of the pelvis which rendered him incontinent.

"His pelvis was also fractured," Dr McCurdie said.

He said he had never seen a similar injury to the genital area before.

"I have seen instances ... where people have tried to remove items from their rectum and rupture the sphincter muscles, but not anything like this," he said.

Dr McCurdie said young people were particularly susceptible to imitating movies like Jackass.

"I think films like that can influence people, particularly younger people," he said.

"Firecrackers really are quite dangerous. In years gone by, firecrackers were in common usage and people were always warned about how to use them. Now the authorities have taken over and public displays are common."

Acting Senior Sergeant John Klepczarek said police received reports every year about injuries caused by firecrackers, which are illegal in NSW.

While some injuries were minor, he said in some cases people received severe burns and fingers had been lost.

"The warnings are out there for a reason. People still have the mentality it won't happen to them, but it does," he said.

The danger with movies like Jackass, he said, was that some people were tempted to try the stunts at home.

"They're putting themselves at risk, and other people.

"We do caution people strongly against following these acts," he said.

Illawarra Mercury

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/03/1062548893255.html

Submitted on 08/16/2006

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: Fairfax DigitSeptember 3, 2003

Copyright © 2006 DarwinAwards.com

Fitzroy said:
Maybe Toss: Other
I got the sense that "Jackass" style stories were wearing thin here. On the one hand, this is extreme stupidity with the potential for a Living Darwin Award as a result. On the othr hand, it is not just a Jackass style story -- it apparently was a deliberate effort at emulating one of those stunts. I'm taking a negative stance because of that consideration, and lightly so at that. Of course, the submission is appreciated.

James said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
I am going to beg to differ with my esteemed colleague! At the age of 16, I expect this sort of behavior, but by the age of 26, one should KNOW better. I too tend to frown on "Jackass" wannabe's, but sticking explosives up one's rectum is AS stupid as it gets, and the results UNDERLINE that! This fellow now has to "go" in a bag and can't have sex. WHY DID HE DO IT? THIS, ladies and gents, is SELF-SELECTION at its FINEST! FULL DA, says I! (we'll probably get a million of this story, BTW)!

Sheryl said:
Maybe Toss: Not Amusing
Thanks for the story. Someone aged 26 *should* know better but we have no guarantee that this person has the maturity of a 26 year old. Obviously, he hasn't. I fully realise that James is correct when he says it's "self selection at its finest". It's the Jackass portion that makes me want to toss the whole story. Why give the guy a bonus for ignoring warnings?

Jorge said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention

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