Physical Wellness

YouTube Stunts Send Kid To The Hospital

By Meiwa Javellana | Update Date: Jan 20, 2017 07:30 AM EST

An 8-year-old boy from New Hampshire caught on fire during a sleepover after trying out a stunt that they saw on a YouTube video. The boy's mother feared the worst.

James Ditucci tried to imitate the "hand sanitizer" stunt where he splashed sanitizer on his hand then set it on fire so that it will glow. The sanitizer got splashed on his shirt where the flames spread. Luckily, his 10-year-old brother and cousin were able to quickly put the fire out.

"I heard just god-awful bloodcurdling cries and screams," said Tashia Ditucci, the boy's mother when she was woken up early Monday morning. "My son came downstairs and he was just really red, you could see burns all over him," Ditucci added. 

According to WMUR-TV, James suffered second-degree burns to 15 percent of his body particularly in his hands, chest and stomach. He was quickly brought to a nearby hospital and then he was transferred to Shriners Burns Hospital for Children in Boston.

He is being treated and given special treatment for his condition. His mother shared that the doctors are optimistic about his son's recovery.

WWLP reported, Assistant Chief Brian Borneman, Merrimack Fire Dept said, "Alcohol burns blue and the purer it is, it would get even clearer or you might not see it at all." After watching more of these YouTube stunt videos similar to the ones the boys saw, Borneman believes what happened to James could have been much worse.

Ditucci said, "They said if my son was on fire for more than another minute he would have been dead. It would have smothered his lungs and he wouldn't have made it."

She hopes sharing her son's story would raise awareness and warn other parents of the potential danger of some of these YouTube stunts.

© 2023 Counsel & Heal All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics