Man Loses Foot in Explosion in Central Park, Possibly From Fireworks

A young man visiting New York from Virginia had his foot blown off by an explosion in Central Park on Sunday morning, possibly from fireworks.

The incident occurred shortly before 11 a.m., inside the park at around 61st Street and Fifth Avenue, not far from the Fifth Avenue Synagogue, where the funeral of Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate, was taking place.

According to witnesses who were quoted in media reports or who wrote on their own social-media pages, the man was walking in the park with friends when he stepped on something and a blast occurred, blowing his foot off. Graphic images from the scene show emergency personnel carrying the man on a stretcher to the hospital.

A bomb squad was on the site, and police have closed off the area as they investigate. However, police said it was likely a fireworks accident, as Monday is the Fourth of July.

The Daily News has identified the victim as Connor Golden, 18, from Fairfax, Va., and his friends as Thomas Hinds, 20, and Joseph Stabile, 18.

According to a witness cited by the Daily News, the friends said they were not carrying any fireworks, and were walking on a rock formation when Golden stepped on something that exploded.