Teen loses eye after 'dud' firework detonates in face on Bonfire Night

A teenage boy has issued a stark warning to fireworks fans after losing his left eye when an unexploded rocket detonated in his face. Aleks Stasiukiewicz, now 17, was just 15 when the incident occurred in Hartlepool, County Durham, in November 2024, according to the Metro ^[1].

The college student had attended an organised display at a local rugby club before joining friends in a nearby park. When he noticed a firework that had failed to ignite as intended, he approached it to relight it. The device exploded instantly, knocking him to the ground and causing severe facial trauma.

His mother, Julie Stasiukiewicz, rushed to the scene and described the devastating moment she saw her son in the ambulance. "I had to watch as his eye leaked down the side of his face," Julie told the Daily Star ^[2]. She initially thought her son was joking when friends called to say he had been hit.

Aleks was transported to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where doctors confirmed he had lost his left eye and part of his eyelid. He also suffered burns to his arm and leg and broke a front tooth. Specialist oculoplastic surgeons later removed debris from his eye socket and fitted a ball-shaped prosthesis designed to replicate natural eye movement.

Consultant surgeon Gar-Yun Wong, who treated Aleks, noted that Bonfire Night is a worrying time for eye specialists. "Accidents can happen in an instant and can result in life-changing eye injuries or even permanent sight loss," he said, per the Metro ^[1]. He strongly advised against returning to or handling lit fireworks.

Now, Aleks and his family are urging the public to follow safety advice this November. "When people say don't play with fireworks, listen," Aleks said. "They are not something you should mess around with, as they can cause serious, life-changing injuries."

Despite the trauma, the family feels fortunate that the injuries were not worse. Aleks has undergone multiple surgeries and now has movement within his eye socket, though he admits there will be things he can no longer do. He has become much more cautious when attending displays, vowing never to take the risk again.