BRONSON, MI (WTVB) – At least three people were injured in a fireworks explosion at the Gilead Lake public access site on Sunday night.
Bronson Fire Department Chief Scott Wilber says six people were on a pontoon boat setting off fireworks when a spark went into a bucket of mortar round type fireworks causing an explosion which blew people off the pontoon.
Three were transported by Lifecare Ambulance for burns.
A seriously burned man was later taken to Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne before being transferred to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo.
A large crowd was at the public access to view the fireworks when the explosion took place.
Wilber says accounting for the people who were on the pontoon was difficult for emergency personnel because some were picked up by boats and transported to the public access while others swam to the opposite shore.
In addition, one person left the scene without making contact with responders.
Besides the Bronson Fire Department and Lifecare Ambulance, the Michigan State Police, the Branch Count Sheriff’s Department Marine Patrol and a Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Conservation Officer also responded to the explosion.
The fireworks accident which took place on Gilead Lake Sunday night was part of a show that is looked forward to every year by residents in the southwestern part of Branch County and northwestern Steuben County. It is made possible every year thanks to donations by nearby residents.
This summer’s newsletter from the Gilead Lake Association said the display grows each year in size and cost and that any donation would be greatly appreciated.
