2005 Darwin Award Winner
Confirmed True by Darwin (13 January 2005, Croatia) One fateful
afternoon, 55-year-old Marko retreated to his semi-detached workshop
to make himself a tool for chimney cleaning. The chimney was too high
for a simple broom to work, but if he could attach a brush to a chain
and then weigh it down with something, that would do the trick. But
what could he use as a weight?
He happened to have the perfect object. It was heavy, yet compact. And
best of all, it was made of metal, so he could weld it to the chain.
He must have somehow overlooked the fact that it was also a hand
grenade and was filled with explosive material.
Marko turned on his welding apparatus and began to create an arc
between the chain and the grenade. As the metal heated up, the grenade
exploded. The force of the explosion killed poor Marko instantly,
blasting shrapnel through the walls of the shed and shattering the
windshield of a Mercedes parked outside. Marko’s chimney was
untouched, however. DA