Horror as tourist, 18, has limb blown apart after stepping on homemade Independence Day FIREWORK in New York’s Central Park
Connor Golden, from Virginia, is having surgery to save his left foot following the terrifying accident
A TEENAGER had his foot ‘demolished’ by a homemade Fourth of July firework which was left in New York’s Central Park.
Tourist Connor Golden, 18, was climbing rocks in the city’s huge park area with two friends on July 3 when he stepped on an explosive device which 'severely mutilated' his left foot.
Following fears that the blast was linked to terrorism, ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, police have now confirmed the device was likely a homemade firework which was triggered by the unlucky teen.
NYPD Deputy Chief John O'Connell said that there was “no evidence that (the explosion) was related to terrorism”.
The officer said it was “not unusual” for people to experiment with fireworks around the July 4 holiday and said the device was likely built to “make a loud noise, make a flash”.
Cops also said the Golden and his two friends Thomas Hinds, 20, and Matthew Stabile, 18, were in an area where “no-one would ordinarily step” and that the explosive was not intended to harm anyone.
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NYPD bomb squad said that while the homemade firework was not pressure sensitive, it was unstable because of its experimental nature.
A source told the that the ‘tiny’ device would have required a good knowledge of chemistry but nothing which could not have been learned online.
Distressing pictures show Golden, who was visiting the Big Apple from his native Virginia, being treated at the scene with his mangled foot heavily bandaged.
According to FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Gala, the teenager is in a ‘stable’ condition and is undergoing surgery at Bellevue Hospital to save his foot.
Golden and his two friends arrived in New York on Saturday and were looking for places to slackline – a form of a tightrope walking – in the park the horrific accident occurred.
Pal Hinds told the that the explosive “demolished” his friend’s foot.
He said: “I got down the hill and boom, my ears were ringing. I felt a wave, a gust hit me in the back.
“I turned around and saw him on the ground with his foot bleeding.
“It just demolished his foot.”
However, Hinds revealed that his friend remained claim despite the terrifying injury to his foot.
He said: “He handled it pretty well. He's a tough guy. All he said was, ‘Get help’.”
Police, who were concerned about a possible terrorist plot, questioned Hinds and Stabile separately about what had happened.
Hinds said: “(They) understandably going at us hard asking about firecrackers, because the idea that there would be some sort of bomb in Central Park is really scary.”
Witness John Murphy, 53, told the NY Daily News that he stepped into help “severely injured” Golden when his friends froze.
He said: “The friends were just in shock. He was severely injured. His left leg was severely damaged, all bone and muscle.”
Hinds also added that he initially feared the blast was terror-related.
He said: “At first, I thought we were being attacked.
“It was a very loud explosion, and I couldn’t help but think of all the stuff in the news. That’s just what your mind automatically jumps to.
“But when I turned around and saw that [Connor] had stepped on something and was hurt, I went into shock.
“I realized that that could’ve been me. I went ahead first and the place where he stepped was inches away from where I was walking.”
The 20-year-old told the New York Times that he hopes his friend, who enjoys an active life, will not lose his foot.
He said: "Connor is a really laid-back guy who really likes music and the outdoors.
"We love to go camping together, so on the fifth day of our trip, we were gonna head upstate to the Adirondacks for the weekend and then head home.
";But that’s all changed. Now, I just hope they can put his foot back together."
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