MARION COUNTY, Iowa — The name of a woman killed in an explosion while trying to do a gender reveal announcement in rural Knoxville Saturday has been released.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says 56-year-old Pamela Kreimeyer died instantly after being hit by a metal piece of debris from an explosion on Saturday.
Officials say the Kreimeyer family was experimenting with explosives Friday and Saturday, as a way to make a gender reveal video to share with friends and family on social media.
The explosion happened just after 4:00 p.m. Saturday at 2019 180th Place in rural Knoxville.
According to the news released from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, gunpowder was placed in the bottom of a homemade stand that was welded to a metal base plate. There was a hole drilled in the side for a fuse, a piece of wood on top of the gunpowder and colored powder on top of the wood. Tape over the top of the metal tubing inadvertently created a pipe bomb.
When ignited, instead of the gunpowder shooting the powder out the top of the stand, the stand exploded and sent metal pieces flying.
Kreimeyer was standing about 45 feet from the device, with other family members, and she was struck in the head and died instantly. The piece of metal that hit her then continued another 144 yards.
Sheriff Jason Sandholdt released a statement about the incident:
“This family got together for what they thought was going to be a happy event with no intent for anyone to get hurt. What ended up happening was that Pamela Kreimeyer, a wife, mother and grandmother was killed by a piece of metal where a metal stand, gunpowder and colored powder were involved. This is a reminder that anytime someone mixes these things there is a high potential for serious injury or death; please do not take these unnecessary risks. My condolences go out to the family.”
The investigation into the incident continues.
