An 8-Year-Old Is Covered In Burns After Recreating A YouTube Stunt
An 8-Year-Old Is Covered In Burns After Recreating A YouTube Stunt
James Ditucci was attempting to copy a YouTube stunt involving burning hand sanitizer when he accidentally set himself on fire. He is now recovering from second degree burns over 15-30% of his body.
James Ditucci was attempting to copy a YouTube stunt involving burning hand sanitizer when he accidentally set himself on fire. He is now recovering from second degree burns over 15-30% of his body.
8-year-old James Ditucci was having a sleepover with his 10-year-old brother and cousin when he accidentally set himself on fire trying to recreate an online stunt.
After the boys' mother had tucked them in for the night, they attempted to recreate a video they had seen, which shows a person setting fire to hand sanitizer in order to pick up the fire and "hold it in their hand." You can watch one of the instructional videos for the stunt they were attempting here:
youtube embed goes here!
While Ditucci was preparing the stunt, he accidentally soaked his shirt in the hand sanitizer, and when he set it alight, his shirt also caught fire, rapidly burning him. His brother and cousin were fortunately able to extinguish the flames quickly. If James had been on fire for another minute, he would have died. But his mother had to quickly rush him to a New Hampshire hospital, after which he had to be transferred to another hospital in Boston which specializes in pediatric burn treatment. James' mother, Tashia Ditucci, described the incident, saying:
I heard just god-awful, blood-curdling cries and screams. My son came downstairs, and he was just really red, and you could see burns all over him.
Tashia Ditucci
Washington Post, January 23, 2017
Ditucci is now imploring parents to monitor what their kids see online and to carefully watch their behavior. Additionally, the assistant chief of New Hampshire’s Merrimack Fire Department, Brian Borneman, has commented on these online stunts, saying:
Alcohol burns blue, and the purer it is, it would get even clearer or you might not see it at all. Some of the videos we watched, shaking it. You could spread that if you’re inside.
Brian Borneman
Washington Post, January 23, 2017
So, now, what we want to know is...
Do you think parents should block their children from Youtube to prevent tragedies like this?
Do you think parents should block their children from Youtube to prevent tragedies like this?
Any other thoughts? Talk to us about them in the comments below, and share with your friends to see what they think.