A MICHIGAN man who rigged an explosive backpack for a backyard sledding stunt suffered burns to 18 per cent of his body when it blew up.
The Detroit Free Press reported the 62-year-old man from Independence Township had been hosting an outdoor winter party in his backyard and was reportedly drinking before the Sunday night mishap.
Apparently, he has this sledding party every year, and he always does outrageous things at it, but hes never blown himself up before, Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe told the paper.
The man, whose name was not released, was believed to have constructed the backpack from an old car muffler, which he filled with gasoline and gunpowder, trying to get a rocket-launch effect, Mr McCabe said.
He asked another person to light a wick and then began to sled down a hill.
"At some point during the ride, the device exploded."
The man, who suffered second-degree burns to his face and the right side of his body, was in hospital in a stable condition yesterday.