Peru Incident

In 1999, a welder working with a radiographer at a hydroelectric plant in Peru picked up a lost iridium-192 industrial radiography source and put it in his pocket for several hours. After about six hours, the worker began experiencing pain in the back of the right thigh. He went home with the source, causing minor exposures to family members. Radiographer, having discovered the source was missing at about midnight came to the welder's home and discovered the source. The welder received an estimated whole body dose of 150 rem, although localized doses were much higher, up to 10,000 rad to one buttock, requiring amputation of one leg.