It’s that time of year when temperatures get uncomfortably high and the only way you can enjoy the great outdoors is when you’re playing in water.
For parents of very young children that can’t yet swim this can be a frightening experience so splashpads are the perfect summer retreat for toddlers.
Sadly, one dad did just that with terrifying consequences and now has a warning for all parents.
‘Crying inconsolably’
His 17-month-old son was happily playing in the cool water one minute but the next he was crying inconsolably.
The father of four had taken his children to the splashpad in Seattle’s Georgetown Playfield when his youngest let out a scream and he rushed to help him.
His toddler suffered second-degree burns on the soles of his feet after stepping on hot metal.
“I’ve been through hell the last 24 hours,” Andrew Sechrist told Q13 Fox Seattle.
“His feet were white,” he added, “the skin … they had basically melted. He had second-degree burns on the bottom of his feet.”
His sweet son had to spend the night in the burns unit of their local hospital. The blisters that had formed on the bottom of his feet had to be drained and his legs were wrapped in bandages.
“All in all, it was an extremely difficult 24 hours for a 17-month-old kid,” the anxious dad added.
Q13 Fox later confirmed that the heat of the grate peaked at 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Since Andrew’s son was injured the grate has been painted yellow to make it more visible to others.
Meanwhile, the injured toddler will have to wear shoes or socks outside for a year to allow his feet to fully recover.
This poor baby had to go through such pain before anything was done to highlight this issue. I hope this little boy makes a speedy recovery.
Please share to warn other parents of this potential danger.
