Charles Darwin with a purple swarm around his head, contemplating the twist of fate that natural selection sidestepped these still-living honorable mentions.

2002 Honorable Mention

Next Prev Random Honorable Mentions have misadventures that stop short of the ultimate sacrifice. Nevertheless we salute the spirit of their colossal blunders with an Honorable Mention. Better luck next time!

Wet'n'Dry Shop Vac
2002 Honorable Mention
Confirmed True by Darwin

(15 October 2002, Washington) Gasoline is a dangerous substance. You're apt to win a Darwin Award if you stick a road flare in a puddle of gas, check the fuel level in a gas can with a cigarette lighter, or set ants ablaze with it. Now, a new way to get in trouble with gasoline has been discovered!

Firefighters summoned to a Woodinville home arrived to find twenty-foot flames shooting out of two Chevy Astro vans. After quelling the gasoline-fed blaze with water, dry chemicals, and foam, they questioned the man responsible for the incident.

Turns out that our Honorable Mention winner decided to siphon gasoline with an electric wet'n'dry shop vac. Amazingly, he had managed to collect and transfer an entire bucketful of gasoline before an electrical spark ignited the fumes.

A safety spokesperson said, "This was an accident wafting to happen."

DarwinAwards.com © 1994 - 2020
Submitted by: Zak
Reference: King County Journal

What Readers Think

HONORABLE MENTIONS HAVE MISADVENTURES THAT STOP SHORT OF THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. NEVERTHELESS WE SALUTE THE SPIRIT OF THEIR COLOSSAL BLUNDERS WITH AN HONORABLE MENTION. BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME!

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