Dalton blast: Lawyer lifted blazing timber to escape

Dalton bombing victim Jim Phillips is revealing more details about Friday’s incident that left him hospitalized with severe burns.

“Today was the first day he could carry on a conversation,” said son Marc Phillips Tuesday evening. “He’s just now coming to his senses.”

Phillips was injured by a homemade bomb that detonated in his Dalton law office. The bomber, Lloyd Cantrell, was killed in the blast. Bruce Cantrell said his father, 78, was mentally unstable and had targeted Phillips for perceived slights.

Phillips underwent painful skin grafts Saturday and faces similar procedures in the near future, his son said. The 79-year-old attorney, hospitalized at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, suffered second- and third-degree burns, mainly on his legs and arms.

They were caused primarily by a piece of burning timber that fell on Phillips after the blast. “He had to lift it off himself and that’s what caused most of the burns,” Marc Phillips said.

The attorney still refers to Cantrell as a friend, Marc Phillips said.

“He can’t believe it happened,” he said. “But he still has a good attitude. He’s upbeat.”

The blast also affected Phillips’ hearing and vision. He’s still very weak, unable to talk more than five to 10 minutes at a time, his son said.

“He can’t get work out of his mind,” he said. “I guess lawyers never retire.”