Live grenade removed from soldier’s head

Colombian military doctors have successfully removed a live grenade from the head of a soldier.

Bogota - Colombian military doctors have removed a live grenade from the head of a soldier.

During a patrol in Arauca, in the eastern part of the country, a soldier accidentally fired a grenade launcher, leaving a grenade embedded in his comrade’s head.

Transporting the victim by helicopter was too dangerous so the soldier was taken by ambulance to a military hospital in the capital Bogota, the newspaper El Tiempo reported on Thursday. The journey lasted eight hours.

The doctors built an improvised operating theatre in the carpark due to the danger of the grenade exploding.

The grenade was successfully removed.

“Five minutes were decisive,” said surgeon William Sánchez Maldonado.

“If the grenade had exploded, there would have been a tragedy.”

The patient’s condition has been stable since the operation on Sunday. Up to four more operations will be needed to rebuild the soldier’s face.

DPA