A mother recounts a horrifying incident in which she had to extinguish the flames engulfing her teenage son using her bare hands after he set himself on fire while attempting a dangerous social media stunt.
Thirteen-year-old Dzhyan Crutcher suffered third-degree burns on 45 percent of his upper body, imitating something he had reportedly seen on social media, according to his mother.
The ill-fated stunt involved pouring alcohol onto an open flame, and on March 3rd, Dzhyan endured severe burns while attempting to replicate it.
His mother, Tiffany, had anticipated a power outage due to inclement weather that day and had prepared candles in case the lights went out.
Recalling the incident, the 34-year-old mother explained that her son took one of the candles into the bathroom, lit it, and then poured alcohol on the flame, causing an explosion, according to Tyla.
Dzhyan ran out of the bathroom engulfed in flames, and his mother, acting instinctively, attempted to extinguish the fire with her bare hands before her younger son, Zaelyn, provided her with a fire extinguisher.
The teenager was swiftly airlifted to the hospital and immediately underwent surgery. Subsequently, a fire marshal showed Tiffany a video of another child getting injured while attempting the same dangerous act.
Expressing her surprise, Tiffany mentioned that she had cautioned her children against emulating actions solely based on what they had seen on the internet.
Recounting the harrowing incident, she said, “He went into the bathroom and he took a candle and poured alcohol onto it. It exploded onto him, catching him on fire. I was there immediately. I heard the explosion.”
“He came out of the bathroom, and I tried to put him out with my hands at first. We were taught to stop, drop, and roll, so I tried that, and it didn’t work.”
Zaelyn quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher, allowing Tiffany to successfully put out the flames. However, the ordeal was terrifying, as Dzhyan’s upper body was completely ablaze. The severity of his injuries was not immediately apparent.
Tiffany explained that her son suffered burns on his stomach, chest, face, and neck, but his arms sustained the most extensive damage. Surgeons had to make incisions along both arms to restore circulation after rushing him to the hospital.
The mother revealed that Dzhyan had admitted to watching videos on social media where rubbing alcohol was used alongside a source of flame. Although he was not watching the videos at that particular moment, he had seen them previously. Inspired by the lit candles due to the storm, he impulsively decided to attempt the stunt.
The alcohol he used was from the family’s bathroom cabinet, typically meant for disinfecting injuries.
Dzhyan spent a month in the hospital, undergoing four skin grafts. While his recovery is expected to take another two years, he is fortunate to be alive after this distressing incident.
