Fireworks 'exploded all at once' injuring multiple people at Lake Sinclair

An exploding fireworks display injured at least two men late on the Fourth of July on Lake Sinclair.

Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said the men suffered serious burns and had to be airlifted to the hospital late Wednesday.

"It wasn't professional fireworks, it was just people who had a lot of personal fireworks that exploded all at once," Sills said.

James Mallory, 30, and Gregory Austin Meyer, 25, both of Eatonton, were taken by ambulance to the waiting helicopter at the Lake Country Baptist Church on Crooked Creek Road.

They were flown to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta.

The explosion happened at about 9:45 p.m. on a barge on Cold Branch Cove, Putnam County sheriff's Chief Deputy Russell Blenk said.

"The sparks ignited other fireworks on the barge," Blenk said. "It wasn't moving, just anchored in a cove."

About five people were on the barge that was about 75 to 100 feet out in the water.

"Everybody jumped in the lake," Blenk said.

Others might have suffered minor injuries, Blenk said, but Mallory and Meyer had first- and second-degree burns to their lower extremities, arms, neck and face.

They were scheduled for surgery Thursday morning, Blenk said.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources also responded to the incident southeast of Eatonton.

Mallory had extended an invitation on Facebook to his annual fireworks display and Blenk said there was quite a crowd gathered at the cove.

This story was originally published July 5, 2018 at 12:13 PM.