Girl, 11, loses a hand after mistaking dynamite for a sparkler
An 11-year-old Michigan girl lost four fingers after she mistook a stick of dynamite for a sparkler and it exploded in her hand.
Caitlyn Conway needed her forearm and hand amputating after the device detonated at her family home in the Detroit suburb of River Rouge on June 27.
The girl's twin sister also suffered minor cuts and bruises as the explosion sent debris flying in all directions, police said.
Shocking photographs of the aftermath suggest it could have been even worse - with parts of the detached rental property on Superior Street completely destroyed.
Eleven-year-old Michigan girl Caitlyn Conway has lost her hand after mistaking a stick of dynamite for a sparkler
Caitlyn Conway, 11 (pictured) needed an amputation after the explosive device detonated at her family rental home in the Detroit suburb of River Rouge on June 27
'One of the sisters mistakenly lit an explosion device, believing it to be a harmless firework. In a split second, their lives were changed forever,' the department said.
'After realizing her mistake, the sister frantically tried to extinguish the device in the bathroom sink, but it was too late.
'The explosion caused significant injuries to one of the sisters, resulting in the amputation of her right hand and part of her forearm.
'The other sister was fortunate to only suffer minor cuts and bruises.'
They added that the aftermath had also left the family dealing with 'extensive structural damage' to their rented home 'both inside and out'.
The girls' father, Ronald Findley, said Caitlyn also suffered a ruptured eardrum, and described her as 'very loving, very outgoing'.
'She seems like she's in good spirits, but you know how that is; it's a mental aspect,' he told Fox2.
'I don't know what the emotional effect is going to be with my daughter because… she's younger.'
Shocking photographs of the aftermath suggest the explosion could have been much worse - with parts of the detached house on Superior Street completely destroyed
Caitlyn (right) was with her twin (left) when the explosion detonated. Caitlyn lost four fingers and needed her hand amputating, while her sister suffered minor scrapes and burns
Parts of the detached house on Superior Street in River Rouge, Detroit were completely destroyed by the accidental explosion
The girls' mother, Jaminique Conway, said she was just grateful her daughters survived the incident, while defending their grandfather for leaving the explosive unguarded
Police said the girls' grandfather bought the explosive and left it in plain view. He was arrested the day after the incident but was later released without any charges.
'The remaining material from the (explosive) is in the process of being sent to Michigan State Police Laboratory for additional testing,' River Rouge Police said.
The girls' mother, Jaminique Conway, said she was just grateful her daughters survived the incident, while defending their grandfather.
'It was an accident. My daddy would never hurt my children,' she told WXYZ.
'I'm just not going to talk to him about it,' Jaminique went on, adding that her father feels terrible about the ordeal.
'As a family, we're going to move past it and unite instead of divide.'
