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- Misnblu
- Misnblu
Paintball Gun Malfunction Kills Mother
Air Canister Hits Woman, Kills Her Instantly
POSTED: 4:29 pm PST February 17, 2004
UPDATED: 9:50 am PST February 18, 2004
PLACERVILLE, Calif. -- An El Dorado County mother throwing a birthday party for her son and a friend has been killed by a malfunctioning paintball gun, according to authorities.
Investigators said a 16-year-old began disassembling his paintball gun at the paintball complex north of Placerville as Monday's birthday party was wrapping up. In an instant, the brass safety fitting that secures the high-pressure air canister to the gun malfunctioned, shooting the air canister toward Colette Controis, according to investigators.
"When it was launched, it was like a torpedo. And it struck the woman in the back of the head as she stood about 8 feet away. She died instantly," said El Dorado County Sheriff's Department spokesman Lt. Kevin House.
Controis' death was witnessed by over 30 children and parents.
The owner of the Placerville paintball store affiliated with the paintball complex said he had never heard of such a malfunction ever happening before. And he said the malfunctioning canister did not come from his store.
El Dorado County Sheriff's investigators are calling the death a clear accident, and no criminal conduct is suspected from anyone involved.
This is about right.
Typical news media coverage and shows the ignorance of those that don't know paintball.
If you check out the video, you will see this person (
) used a copper hose, hooked up to his remote bottle setup.
YOU DO NOT USE COPPER TUBING FOR CONNECTIONS IN PAINTBALL.
They should have used macroline or s.steel braided line.
I can understand why the shop owner didn't want to be interviewed. Mainly because the bottle wasn't purchased there and the news media likes to take things out of proportion, sensationalize the event and the fact that they didn't do their research like the media should.
Oh well, another kick in the butt from the oh so loving News Media.
Misnblu
Air Canister Hits Woman, Kills Her Instantly
POSTED: 4:29 pm PST February 17, 2004
UPDATED: 9:50 am PST February 18, 2004
PLACERVILLE, Calif. -- An El Dorado County mother throwing a birthday party for her son and a friend has been killed by a malfunctioning paintball gun, according to authorities.
Investigators said a 16-year-old began disassembling his paintball gun at the paintball complex north of Placerville as Monday's birthday party was wrapping up. In an instant, the brass safety fitting that secures the high-pressure air canister to the gun malfunctioned, shooting the air canister toward Colette Controis, according to investigators.
"When it was launched, it was like a torpedo. And it struck the woman in the back of the head as she stood about 8 feet away. She died instantly," said El Dorado County Sheriff's Department spokesman Lt. Kevin House.
Controis' death was witnessed by over 30 children and parents.
The owner of the Placerville paintball store affiliated with the paintball complex said he had never heard of such a malfunction ever happening before. And he said the malfunctioning canister did not come from his store.
El Dorado County Sheriff's investigators are calling the death a clear accident, and no criminal conduct is suspected from anyone involved.
This is about right.
Typical news media coverage and shows the ignorance of those that don't know paintball.
If you check out the video, you will see this person (
) used a copper hose, hooked up to his remote bottle setup. YOU DO NOT USE COPPER TUBING FOR CONNECTIONS IN PAINTBALL.
They should have used macroline or s.steel braided line.
I can understand why the shop owner didn't want to be interviewed. Mainly because the bottle wasn't purchased there and the news media likes to take things out of proportion, sensationalize the event and the fact that they didn't do their research like the media should.
Oh well, another kick in the butt from the oh so loving News Media.
Misnblu
