Birmingham - Josip Bolnevic is a music lover. He's also lucky to be alive, and has the Birmingham Fire Dept. to thank for it. Bolnevic was sitting on his Lazy-Boy listening to Led Zeppelin Live when he decided that it was time to grab a little snack. As he reached over for a snicker's bar, the combination of the Lazy Boy recliner spring and the center of gravity propelled him forward and headfirst into the family's goldfish bowl. The bowl wedged itself firmly onto Bolnevic's head, lodged in place by the bulky headphones he was wearing at the time. His first reflex was to scream and yell for help, but as an ex-soldier, he knew he had to conserve oxygen, which was running out in the confines of the bowl. He took half-breaths and managed to control the intake of air, even though Emily, the family goldfish, was stuck to the roof of his mouth. With no other options available, Bolnevic swallowed the fish, hoping the obstruction in his airway would be clear enough to breath. Bolnevic then picked up the phone and dialed 9-1-1.

The operator managed to send firefighters to Bolnevic's home, where they made several attempts to free him, but to no avail. He was turning blue due to lack of oxygen and the chief made a final decision to use a 50 pound mallet to crack the bowl. It took 3 full swings to break the bowl away, and the last swing put a dent in Bolnevic's head. He survived the incident with a  head bruise, but says he learned his lesson. " I think I have to find another place to sit. The springs on that chair are just too strong. it's not the first time the thing has made me airborne...".

Bolnevic "passed" the goldfish that evening, but it was dead and could not be revived. It was buried near the little brook at the back of the house.

Above: Josip Bolnevic pictured with fishbowl on his head.
" A freak one in a million accident..."

"We had no choice but to attempt to remove the fishbowl with a 50 pound sledgehammer. It was tough, but we managed to get it off. "

                                         Walter Skirmind
                                                  Firefighter Unit # 16

" Now he better get me another goldfish ! I barely traind this one and now he's gone and killed it."

                                          Greta Bolnevic
                                   Daughter

                               
"What a lamebrain. He always has those headphones on and never hears anything else around him. One day a piano is gonna land on his head, and he'll never have heard it coming..."

                                                 Peter Borowick
                                      Neighbor