Beachgoer Loses Hand While Cleaning Up July 4th Debris

A "simple act of kindness" morphed "into a life-changing emergency" for one man, who lost his hand when a hidden explosive detonated as he tried to clear post-July 4th debris from a Northern California beach. Jason Turner and his girlfriend were walking Point St. George Beach in Del Norte County on Sunday, gathering spent fireworks, when he picked up what his daughter described on GoFundMe as a "bomb-like" cylindrical object partly buried in the sand. It exploded in his hand. With no cell service, the pair had to travel a quarter-mile to the parking lot before they could call 911.

Deputies say they arrived to find Turner "with a significant injury to his hand"; he later underwent an amputation and is expected to need more surgery, his daughter wrote. She said he also has metal fragments in his eyes, bleeding behind one eye, and a ruptured right eardrum that has left him without hearing on that side, injuries that may be permanent. Sheriff Kayle Stevens told NBC News investigators haven't identified the device, saying no fragments were recovered. Authorities say they've found no other similar devices but are still investigating and urged the public to avoid handling anything that might be explosive and to contact law enforcement instead.