Chemical mix turns frightful for boy, 15

SWAMPSCOTT -- Jared Richard and his friends thought it would be a fun experiment: Mix some chemicals in a plastic 2-liter bottle, shake it up, and watch the container explode. But the results backfired and almost left Richard blind.

On Tuesday afternoon, the teenagers, who borrowed the formula from a YouTube video, went to work in the backyard.

They placed the bottle on a picnic table and took several steps away.

A minute later, the bottle remained intact.

Richard, 15, grew impatient, walked to the table, and began to pick up the bottle.

Suddenly, the mixture inside turned yellow. Then all Richard saw was white.

"I thought I was dead when it blew up," he said yesterday, as he sat in his dining room.

He wore sunglasses to protect his eyes, which were burned by the explosion.

His face was red with first-degree burns, which he compared to a severe sunburn.

Yesterday, after two days of sleeping and wearing a black eye mask, he was able to read, look at a computer, and watch television.

For his mother, who was unsure Tuesday if her child would see again, it seemed like remarkable improvement.

"He's very lucky," said Dianne Richard, 46. Police "said the blast was the equivalent of a shotgun blast."

Dianne Richard, who works in sales and marketing for a Danvers cleaning company, was called at work by her sister Tuesday, telling her that her son had been involved in an explosion and was at North Shore Medical Center in Salem.

"I couldn't comprehend it," she said.

When she arrived at the hospital, her son was full of remorse.

"I walked in and he said: 'I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry, Mom,' " she said.

"My first reaction was, please, just let this kid be able to see again."

Eventually, he was moved to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, where doctors told the family that he had burned his corneas, but that he would regain full use of his eyes.

He may face charges for possession of an explosive device, Dianne Richard said.

It is unclear when he will return to school or when he will fully recover his eyesight. But the family is grateful.

"I'm just so happy right now," Dianne Richard said.

YouTube, on its terms of use page, offers this disclaimer: "YouTube does not endorse any User Submission or any opinion, recommendation, or advice expressed therein, and YouTube expressly disclaims any and all liability in connection with User Submissions."

Jared Richard said he has simple advice for any curious person thinking of building an explosive device.

"Don't," he said.

Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com.