Latest news with #PeterMongillo
Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Man blows off hand while setting off cannon for Fourth of July, WA officials say
A man's hand was blown off in Washington after he lit a cannon during the Fourth of July, fire officials said. The man in his 40s was rushed to Station 33 after 11 p.m. in Snohomish, Peter Mongillo, a spokesperson for Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue told McClatchy News by phone July 7. 'We don't know if the cannon malfunctioned or if his hand was in the way when the cannon went off,' Mongillo said. Mongillo said the man had surgery on July 7 and 'he had no hand left.' 'These types of injuries can be life-threatening, but swift action and proper care dramatically improve the chances of survival,' fire officials said in a Facebook post. Cannons can be packed with black powder and the fuse can be lit to produce a loud bang, Mongillo said, but it doesn't require firing a cannonball. This method is often used in ceremonies and reenactments, but the blast from setting off a cannon can still be 'hazardous,' according to the Shiloh National Military Park. Snohomish is about a 30-mile drive northeast from Seattle.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cooling off in the water this weekend? Here's what you need to know
As the warmer weather starts to roll in, thousands of people will be heading to the water to cool off, but officials are warning people to stay safe when entering Washington's lakes and rivers. Pinpoint Alert Days issued for warm temperatures and cold water danger Sunday and Monday 'What surprises people is the rivers. If they get in there, it's gonna be bone-chilling, cold,' said Peter Mongillo with Snohomish Regional Fire. Mongillo wants to remind people that rivers and lakes can be frigid, despite the heat outside. 'You can get your energy sapped very quickly... If you fill up with, you know, water in your lungs, you're gonna sink like a rock,' he explained. According to the National Weather Service, cold shock can happen in 50-to-60-degree water. Here are the current water temperatures in Western Washington: Lake Washington: 66° Lake Sammamish: 70° Green Lake: 65° Puget Sound (Seattle Aquarium): 56° Lake Stevens: 62° Lake Ballinger: 64° Lake Tapps: 51° Tolt River: 52° Snoqualmie River: 52° Due to these cold temperatures, Mongillo urges everyone to wear life vests — even if they know how to swim. 'Especially in the rivers, your hands become less functional. You can't grab onto things as easily, you can't swing your arms as easily, but you know what, if you got that life jacket on you're at least you're afloat,' he added. Fire officials can't emphasize enough that parents keep an eye on their kids in the water and don't get distracted looking down at their phones. Mongillo says that when the weather starts to warm up, they see an increase in water rescue calls. 'Sadly, the first warm weekend of the year, especially here in the Pacific Northwest, we can set our clocks to it because that's when drownings really start picking up in the lakes and the rivers,' he said.
