Punkin Chunkin TV special set to air Saturday canceled
A three-hour Punkin Chunkin TV special slated to air this weekend on The Science Channel and Discovery Channel has been canceled after a woman was critically injured at the annual event in early November.
A trap door of an air cannon ripped off the machine after the cannon fired a pumpkin on Nov. 6, sending chunks of metal into the air and colliding with a 39-year-old woman. Delaware State Police have not identified her, nor has The Science Channel or Sharp Entertainment, the company responsible for filming the show.
“In light of the unfortunate incident at the Punkin Chunkin event on Nov. 6, Science Channel will not air Punkin Chunkin as originally planned," The Science Channel said in a statement. "We are sending our hopes and prayers for a full recovery to the injured woman, her family and loved ones.”
She remains in critical condition at Christiana Hospital in Stanton, according to Delaware State Police. A 56-year-old man was also injured in the explosion.
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The Science Channel and Discovery Channel were both set to broadcast the event at 8 p.m. Saturday, detailing the process of chunkin and the stories of teams who traveled across the country to compete. Several TV show hosts, as well as a large production crew, chronicled the three-day event from the front lines.
This marked the event's first year back after a two-year hiatus prompted by a previous accident at Punkin Chunkin. No one affiliated with the event or the show would comment on the future of the Sussex County tradition. The three-day event was operating on a one-year lease with Wheatley Farms.
The event had struggled to obtain insurance for the past two years and many say extra safety precautions were implemented to make Punkin Chunkin safer. Signs warning of the dangers associated with Punkin Chunkin were posted on event grounds, and those attending within the cordoned area had to sign waivers.
State police continue to investigate, but the incident has been preliminarily considered an "industrial accident," said Master Cpl. Gary Fournier with state police.
Contact Brittany Horn at (302) 324-2771 or bhorn@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @brittanyhorn.