Exploding toilet sends boy to the hospital
Categories: Teens & tweens, Health & safety, Weird but true
You now how sometimes your bathroom needs a little freshening up after a particularly, um, odorous event? You might be tempted to light a candle or spray some air freshener and that is fine. Just don't do both.This poor child in Germany found out the hard way that aerosol sprays and open flames can be an explosive mix. At 13-years-old, Dennis Bueller is old enough to read the warnings on the can, but admits he didn't bother. After finishing his 'business', he gave the bathroom a liberal dousing of Purple Rose air freshener then decided to hang around for a bit.
"Then I began fiddling with a lighter my dad left in there and suddenly there was this big orange whoosh! of flame. I woke up outside with my clothes burned off me and smelling like a barbecue," he said.
He will now need months of medical care for the burns on his burns face, arms, legs and upper body. The boy's dad sympathizes with his son's pain, but hopes he has learned a lesson. "He said the downstairs loo smelled but I think he realizes he was a bit dim in playing with a lighter," said Artur Bueller. Maybe it is just me, but if I had been the adult who left that lighter laying around in the bathroom, I might be blaming myself for what happened.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
cjmckay1 11-13-2008 @ 2:25PM
butt....... did the explosion get rid of the smell???
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Sharon 11-13-2008 @ 2:56PM
Holy Crap!!!
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sharon 11-13-2008 @ 7:02PM
Oh, I have a better one...Goodness, Gracious, Great Balls of Fire!!! TeeHee!!!
susan 11-13-2008 @ 3:42PM
Very funny you guys, great puns!!!
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Carolyn Anderson 11-13-2008 @ 3:44PM
Why did he play with the lighter - was he also smoking in the bathroom and didn't want mom or dad to know? At the age of 13, you shouldn't have to hide a lighter - the child should know better so no, I wouldn't feel guilty. I would feel bad that my child got hurt and even a tad upset with the child for playing with fire - It it was a younger child, yes I would be blaming myself.
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michelle 11-13-2008 @ 4:00PM
It is just you, Sandy. A 13-year-old is old enough to know better than to play with fire, especially IN THE HOUSE right where HE just sprayed an AEROSOL can. I do feel bad for the kid, though. That is one painful way to learn a lesson, not to mention expensive for his parents.
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c_rousseau05 11-13-2008 @ 4:41PM
Even if the dad did leave the lighter in there, it was probably not on purpose. Besides, the kid is 13! Don't give the kid extra sympathy because he was too "dim" to play with a lighter he shouldn't have been touching to begin with.
I admit I had to chuckle at this story though. The description of events read like a cartoon lol. Poor kid, I hope he learns his lesson and i'm really glad he's ok for the most part.
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LOCAL LUCY 11-13-2008 @ 6:24PM
BUMMER
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Sabrina 11-13-2008 @ 6:49PM
Blame YOURSELF???? You must be kidding. If a 13 year old isn't smart enough to know not to play with lighters....well...I guess he'll explode air freshner in the bathroom. Go figure.
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Sabrina 11-13-2008 @ 6:49PM
Blame YOURSELF???? You must be kidding. If a 13 year old isn't smart enough to know not to play with lighters....well...I guess he'll explode air freshner in the bathroom. Go figure.
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Leslie 11-13-2008 @ 7:09PM
I agree a 13 year old should know better than to play with the lighter. But most boys would find it a temptation. And I doubt most 13 year olds ( or even many adults) would realize the flamability of the aerosole can made this a dangerous thing to do . A a parent I hope that the boys burns were not too serious and that he recovers with no ill effects.
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Meghan 11-13-2008 @ 7:10PM
Being an Obama supporter suddenly makes you stupid? Gee, I wonder what the people who voted for McCain and Palin are like.
Oh, and... this was in Germany, how could the kid support Obama?
Kid got what he deserved.
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Jackie Butler 11-13-2008 @ 7:49PM
Having raised two boys myself, I am a little suspicious about this whole thing. Any chance the kid might have been testing the "contents flamable" theory by spraying the air freshener into the flame? It's certainly the first time I have ever heard of someone spraying so much air freshener that the fumes ignited moments after he sprayed-I guess it's time to revamp the warning labels; "do not introduce open flame until (x) minutes after contents have been sprayed " There's more to this story than he let on but I am glad he is ok and hope dad learned not to leave lighters around where (even) teens can get them.
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grace 11-15-2008 @ 8:27AM
good intellgence an knowledge jackie love ya
Jeanette 11-13-2008 @ 8:16PM
"Maybe it is just me, but if I had been the adult who left that lighter laying around in the bathroom, I might be blaming myself for what happened."
*sigh* For pity's sake, why don't people just wrap their kids up in bubble wrap to keep them protected? Oh wait--they might chew the plastic and choke. The only thing that parent should feel guilt about is that he raised a not-too bright kid. At thirteen he is old enough to have a clue that a lighter isn't a toy and that spray cans normally have flammable contents. Accidents happen and people--including children--get injured. Deal with it. Life is full of little nasties. For all those who are so quick to rush to judgment just remember there will be someone like you standing there screaming for your head on a platter when you slip up.
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ame s 11-13-2008 @ 9:10PM
I like Jeanette's bubble wrap idea! ;)
I jokingly tell my kids I will smack them stupid or smote them to the ground if they do such and such, but they KNOW and have known from an early age that they do not touch lighters or matches, because if they do, I will smack and/or smote. Luckily they are smart enough to believe me.
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patti 11-13-2008 @ 10:24PM
i have something i would like to say noone knows what it feels like to be burned unless they hAVE BEEN A VICTIM I DONT THIS LITTLE BOY KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING BECAUSE MAYBE HE WAS,NT TAUGHT ABOUT HOW DANGEROUS FIRE IS I KNOW HOW IT FEELS I am a burn victim i was caught in a house fire it will be 17 years ago december 15th i almost died il lost so much i guess i lost myself i lost so much it was a very hard time for me and my fiance i did,nt want to live i lost all my fingers i have a big thumb on my right hand that doctors built me i call it my bambam thumb i have a thumb on my left i do everything with my hands i have third of my right foot but i still get around i was third degree my point is i understand all the pain this little boy is feeling it,s not easy going through all the pain it,s hard having to go through this but things will get better as time goes by my heart goes out to you hang in there you can do it you just have to fight it i wish you the best just believe in yourself have faith in god don,t give up you can do it i am proof i survived god bless you
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momma 11-15-2008 @ 8:39AM
While I have every sympathy for you, & have seen what fire can do (my son is a firefighter), this kid was not a "little boy" he's thirteen. Old enough to know better. Maybe he should have paid more attention in science class! Hope he's o.k,.
Uly 11-13-2008 @ 10:26PM
Sandy - it's just you.
You hide lighters from toddlers, not from teenagers.
Heck, even my three year old niece, upon seeing a lighter, shouted that it was DANGEROUS and needed to go BACK TO NANEN.
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patti 11-13-2008 @ 10:37PM
i don,t you know what it feels like to get burned you stink
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