TUOLUMNE, Calif. (NEXSTAR) — A California mother is warning others after she says her 15-year-old son’s phone charger exploded and left him with second-degree burns.
Shari Pingree says her son’s charging pack exploded in the middle of the night, catching his bed on fire. The teen suffered burns across his back and arms, according to the Daily Mail.
15-year-old Colton thinks the problem came from where he positioned his portable charger: right next to a pillow. When the sheets caught fire, he understandably woke up in a panic.
“I stood up and started grabbing the fire with my bare hands and rolling it out,” Colton told the Daily Mail.
He was able to put out the flames with a bottle of water. His parents then took him to doctors to address the burns. Despite some nasty injuries, he’s expected to make a full recovery.
Colton’s parents say the charging pack was purchased off eBay.
“We’re not sure how old it was,” Colton’s father Andrew said. “It was pretty hard for us to figure out how long we’ve had it.”
Following the frightening incident, Shari turned to social media to alert other parents of what happened.
“This is a big warning for all you parents out there. Please share this with your children family and friends,” she wrote. “Lucky Colton will be ok. It could have been really bad if it wasn’t for his quick reaction.”
The family now encourages others to think twice before placing a phone charger anywhere near a bed.
