Teen killed by paintball tank....First pball related death?

[Automaggin2]

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=dige14m&date=20030614&query=teenager%2C+exploded

[minimag187]

I wonder what the cause of this was, if the tank didnt have the valve installed right, or there was damage on the tank etc. I think there have been a few other accidents involving explosion or fittings flying off the tank.

[LIGHTEMUP]

wow that really sucks
see everyone nitro is safer than co2

[GhillieGuy]

wow, maybee so, it prolly got overfilled or it was too hot out..

[minimag187]

Most likely it was overfilled and hot out and the burst disk for some reason wouldnt take its roll, but who knows.

[CoFFeY[NiTrO]]

Probably some kid who thought he was a rebel because he never got his tank hydroed?

[sniper1rfa]

the only reason he would be changing his tank in the middle of a game would be twelve grams...


i betcha he took a semi full 12G to the head.

[GhillieGuy]

Originally posted by sniper1rfa
the only reason he would be changing his tank in the middle of a game would be twelve grams...


i betcha he took a semi full 12G to the head.

That is the most reasonable explanation iv'e heard yet..

[frgood]

You guys are brutal!
No matter what safety precautions may or may not have happened, death is a pretty permanent outcome.

That said It does bring home that there are some rules to function within. I would hope the lessons learned will help remind people that as fun as this sport is, proper care and maintenance of our equipment will let us have fun and not die.

[Frank (the spank)]

Says it was a "carbon-dioxide cartridge"

See? I had a problem with Wal-mart selling cheap *** plastic paintball guns that use CO2's since day 1. Crap like this will happen..

They don't last long because they are so cheap and they are sold to ignorant parents. I took my cousin and her friends to a field a few weeks ago to play for the first time. One of her friends moms goes "oh my Son does paintballs oooh bring him"

So everyone rents a spyder clone and this kid is playing with a clear blue cartridge c02 pump gun that flung paint at 112fps.. every game the other team would just run up behind him and say "you're out man..." and wouldn't even take a shot.. lol. Wal-Mart hurts paintball with crap like this. I can see all the stupid soccer moms now protesting at evil make believe war games and they will show how easy it is to just go to Wal-Mart and buy a "gun replica".

Opra is gonna sit down on her steps and look into the camera.. and show.. the horrer.. of "paintball war games". then they'll have the crying mother "he.. said all his friends diid it.. it was just a game.. he worked real hard so he could buy the war gun... he use to collect cans for money and donate to kids with Cancer so they could buy balloons.. now he's dead.. because of war paintballs.."

[Ultimator]

I highly doubt a 12 gram would pack the force necessary to kill someone. My bet is that he was trying to unscrew the tank from the ASA but wasn't paying attention and was unscrewing the valve from the CO2 tank. I've seen this happen before in the shop I work at. Doc (smokee_27 here on AO) was unscrewing a CO2 tank from a rental and we all heard a pop. He looked down and realized he was unscrewing the valve from the tank. Good thing he caught that or a couple people could've been hurt or killed. God only knows what would've happend if that tank flew around and hit one of the valves on one of the huge bulk cylinders we have around.

[frgood]

Frank you make an excellent case....

What is a good solution? Restriction of 'plastic' guns'?
Or perhaps focusing on the air supply. Aren't the 12 grams used not only in paintball and air guns. I would think 12 grams have some sort of shelf life. I'm guessing here but are there any regs regarding small tiny conatiners filled with compressed gasses.

Part of me is glad to see paiontball equipment for sale in Wal-Marts, and Fry's Electronics. but the flip side is as you point out. Mass consumerism produces a lot of sub standard and thus potnetially dangerous products.
But if you think about it other items sold can be just as lethal. Cleaning products (swallows by minors), all those toys they list and dangerous at Christmas, The automotive section. And let's not mention the hardware department.

Yes, people are going to take advantage the tragedy to further their own private agneda. I'm not sure what the best response is anymore.

[Wc Keep]

Originally posted by Ultimator
I highly doubt a 12 gram would pack the force necessary to kill someone. My bet is that he was trying to unscrew the tank from the ASA but wasn't paying attention and was unscrewing the valve from the CO2 tank. I've seen this happen before in the shop I work at. Doc (smokee_27 here on AO) was unscrewing a CO2 tank from a rental and we all heard a pop. He looked down and realized he was unscrewing the valve from the tank. Good thing he caught that or a couple people could've been hurt or killed. God only knows what would've happend if that tank flew around and hit one of the valves on one of the huge bulk cylinders we have around.

we were at practice one night and i was unscrewing my 68 3000 psi tank that was full from my gun. we were having a team meeting so i was trying to do two things at once so i wasnt paying attention to how hard it was to take off my tank. when i also heard a pop and noticed my reg being unscrewed from my tank.

things like this can be prevented. WE just have to be more careful. i for one do not like having paintball equipment sold in these superstores. things like this should be kept to the proshops. at walmart they dont show you how to disassemble a marker or remove a tank properly. at proshops they have people who know to explain these things and specialize in handling this equipment.

[alexrusek]

well this story was discussed on the kingman forums and someone who lived in the area said a new report came out that the kid's friend who was with him said he dropped his tank and it hit him in head...WELL it turns out the dead kids friend lied...actually the idiots where trying to make it explode by throwin it onto cement...the kids dies and his friend lied...its not the pb tanks fault or pb in genereal..it was the fault of this kid who was on purpose trying to make the tank explode...........darwin award

[RetroEclipseMan]

Yeah, I totally agree. Even though the sport is getting exposure from all these big retailers selling stuff I don't feel it's the right exposure. Too many young and uninformed kids can get a hold of that stuff and look what the the outcome can be.

I saw this on the news when it first happened and was actually suprised that they didn't tear into the sport. In fact they never really talked about it at all (don't even think they released the kid's name at the time). Heck they did a longer report on some guy's trees getting stolen than they did on this tragedy.