Cannon accident is rough on teen

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, December 21, 2006

SNOHOMISH – Brett Karch, 16, can’t walk and soon will undergo a fourth surgery after his leg was shattered when a ceremonial cannon exploded at a Snohomish High School football game.

Now his family hopes the community support they felt right after the October accident will return to help heal emotional injuries from a cruel few.

“I know there are good people in Snohomish,” said Mary Bissell, Karch’s mother. “The voices that are being vocalized are the negative ones. … The whole community is going to have to overcome this, and he needs their support.”

The cannon for more than 30 years marked the start of each home game and Panther touchdown. Karch pulled the trigger the night it blew apart.

Safety precautions were taken, but something went wrong – just what, no one is yet sure.

Since then, Karch has had three surgeries at Providence Everett Medical Center, a skin graft and physical therapy. A titanium bar runs from his kneecap to his ankle.

A grief counselor shows him how to cope and tutors help him keep up with schoolwork.

The teen and his family have been supported by many in the community.

Student leaders organized a card drive that delivered 200 “get well” wishes to his hospital room. The football team sent an autographed ball.

Fellow members of the school’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps pulled in a recliner at their annual ball so Karch, who must keep his battered leg elevated, wouldn’t miss the big night.

Students gave Karch a warm round of applause when he visited a Veteran’s Day assembly to receive an award he earned earlier for community service.

“He’s doing much better,” Bissell said. “Brett is a typical 16-year-old kid. … I know he personally feels left out of regular teenage things that are going on. But most of the time he’s in good spirits.

“He’s a tough kid. He’s determined to walk.”

Still, the boy’s mother said harsh words from a few are making his recovery tougher.

Bissell said her son received threatening phone calls and cards during his hospital stay from adults and students blaming him for the explosion and what they fear could be a lost tradition.

His family reported the threats to Everett police and the hospital restricted access.

Everett prosecutor Laura Van Slyck said she anticipates filing a charge against one adult.

Bissell said she and her children still feel uncomfortable when they go into Snohomish.

“They’re pretty bold about it. They make it known they’re former football players, when (former coach Dick) Armstrong was here, and that (cannon) tradition is pretty important to Snohomish,” Bissell said.

In the days after the accident, students weren’t told much about what happened, but most were concerned about Karch, said Houston Kraft, the student body president.

“There was just the slight minority that aren’t sure, make assumptions and blow things out of proportion,” he said. “Immaturity like that happens anywhere, but SHS didn’t just sit back and ignore Brett.”

The family’s concerns about threats were first publicized Wednesday in a Seattle newspaper. Kraft said he plans to follow up with Karch to make sure he is OK.

Money from the school district’s insurance firm has helped pay for at least some of the teen’s medical expenses, district staff said.

The insurance company continues to look into what caused the explosion. Police earlier said there was no evidence of foul play.

The cannon, made by an Everett company in the early 1970s, was professionally inspected in March 2005 and no problems were found.

Snohomish police continue to look into the explosion and the threats, officials said.

Last week, the family told school staff about four students they said made negative remarks. Administrators plan to follow up when school resumes in January.

Superintendent Bill Mester said the school district’s biggest concern is Karch.

There’s no excuse for threats, but that shouldn’t overshadow the greater amount of community support, he said.

“I think it’s very sad a few people can do something outrageous … and give a whole community a black eye,” Mester said. “I don’t want our community to be tainted with the actions of a couple people.”