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Last July, 10-year-old Edther Ocampo was in the ICU. After illegal fireworks exploded, he underwent several life-saving surgeries at UCI Health.
This year, his family has raised awareness of the dangers of fireworks.
Esser, now 11 years old, was seriously injured on July 5, 2024 after picking up a fragment he believed to be a smoke bomb.
Esser and his brother Dominic were walking home from football practice when they noticed the explosive device. Investigators said it is an unused aerial shell commonly used to fire skyrockets into the air.
“When I got to Grandma’s, I thought it was like a smoke bomb, so I lit it up,” Esser said. “I couldn’t see and I could hear my brother scream.”
The doctor said Esser’s injuries were the most severe of the week.
Dr. Michael Lekawa, trauma medical director at UCI Health, said Edther lost three fingers in his left hand.
“There are certain types of fireworks that are essentially loaded with gun powder that can basically explode,” Rekawa said. “They are like small pieces of dynamite, which causes an explosion. The explosion has a wave of energy passing through your body.”
Dominique was seriously injured by an explosive.
A year later, Edther recovered completely and returned to the hospital. Aside from his wounds and what he went through, his mother, Cynthia Garcia, returns to the football field, saying he is “happy and smiling.”
“We want to help prevent this situation for people because fireworks are so dangerous,” Garcia said.
The Orange County Fire Department reported on July 4th last year that fireworks injuries had increased by 43% countywide compared to 2023. Last summer, the hospital treated 36 adults and children with injuries related to illegal fireworks.
Fireworks are legal in Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Garden Groves, Huntington Beach, Los Aramitos, Orange, Santa Ana, Stanton, Villa Park and Westminster, according to fire authorities. Fireworks are illegal in all other Orange County cities.
Fireworks are also prohibited in state and county parks, harbors, beaches, unincorporated Orange County and Cleveland National Forest.
Owning illegal fireworks in Orange County could result in a fine of up to $50,000 and a year of prison time.
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