The family of a man filmed dancing before putting a lit firework atop his head have revealed his upsetting last words.
Allen Ray McGrew, 41, rarely drank, they said - as circulating video continues to show the final moments of his life in a degrading light.
He's seen smoking a cigarette - and dancing - to bring in The Fourth, while wearing an Uncle Sam outfit and top hat while visibly inebriated.
The dad-of-one proceeded to put a large firework on top of his hat that exploded and caused head injuries that killed him instantly. He was pronounced dead on the scene, outside the family's home in South Carolina.
His wife, Paige McGrew, recently revealed to The New York Post how just before the incident, he hugged her and his son to tell them, 'You are my rock, and you are my heart.'
The family of Allen Ray McGrew - seen here with son Hunter - have revealed his last words
The South Carolina man was filmed dancing before putting a lit firework atop his head on July Fourth - a decision that turned out to be fatal
'We're traumatized,' his son, Hunter McGrew, 20, added two days after the widely seen incident.
'He loved this country and looked forward to celebrating every year,' stepmom Paige continued.
Both said the father had been celebrating in an 'all-out' fashion because Hunter recently got engaged.
He and Paige recently wed as well, marrying last year after dating since 2017, she said.
Photos on her social media show the pair wearing matching 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.' shirts, while pictures on his show him and Hunter through the years.
The pair appeared exceedingly close, as neighbors in the town of Summerville remembered McGrew as 'the nicest guy' on the block.
There, on Thursday, a block party was being held in honor of the holiday, during which the McGrews and other residents let off fireworks while enjoying some drinks.
The occasion was special, however, due to Hunter's recent engagement, and Allen seemed set on celebrating his soon-to-be daughter-in-law's induction into the family with a bit of a show.
His wife Paige recently revealed how just before the incident, he hugged her and his son to tell them, 'You are my rock, and you are my heart'
The incident happened outside the family home in Summerville Thursday, during a block party meant to ring not only the holiday, but his son's recent engagement
Dressed in parotitic garb complete with a top hat adorned with the flag's characteristic stars and stripes, he placed the firework on his head while doing a bit of a jig in an attempt to 'show off', Paige said
Dressed in parotitic garb complete with a top hat adorned with the flag's characteristic stars and stripes, he placed the firework on his head while doing a bit of a jig in an attempt to to 'show off,' Paige said following the incident Thursday.
The HVAC worker was found by first-responders laying dead at the scene from his subsequent head injuries, as the party was brought to an abrupt end.
The local coroner's office said that the exploding device had caused massive head trauma that killed McGrew instantly, and in an interview with the Post and Courier, his wife said she had been in the midst of telling him to stop playing with the firework when it erupted and he collapsed.
'He was holding this firework over his top hat,' she told the outlet, as footage of the incident continues to circulate online.
'I thought he was just showboating before he set it on the ground. I didn’t realize he had already lit it.'
She added Saturday how her husband during his favorite holiday, after telling the Post and Courier earlier in the week: 'He was a patriot.
'He was proud of his son,' she continued. 'And he was excited to have a new daughter-in-law. He was living his best life last night.'
The decision brought the party - as well as the life of the beloved father of one - to an abrupt end
'He was proud of his son,' Paige said of the dad's final display. 'And he was excited to have a new daughter-in-law. He was living his best life last night'
Meanwhile, the clip continues to amass millions of views online - troubling the family due to its depiction of the family man as a 'drunken fool'
The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and Dorchester County Coroner’s Office are investigating the incident, as the family said they are troubled by the viral footage.
They told the Post it falsely portrays him as a 'drunken fool' - a portrayal that cannot be further from the truth.
In reality, he was their rock - the same compliment he graced them in his final moments.
Meanwhile, the clip continues to amass millions of views online, despite its sensitive nature.
