Beach BBQ warning after boy burns feet on hot sand

A dad is warning people about the dangers of using disposable barbecues at the beach after his toddler burned his feet on hot sand - six hours after the family had cooked there.

Lee, 39, from Nettleham in Lincolnshire, initially thought his son Edison had been stung by an insect after he started screaming in pain during a day trip to Anderby Creek beach.

The family had not realised the sand would stay dangerously hot for such a long time, but it soon became clear the two-year-old had burned himself "really badly".

"If I could just stop one person from getting their feet burnt, that would be a great message," said Lee.

Warning: This story contains an image of burn injuries

Lee said he was urging people to think twice before using disposable barbecues at the beach this summer, after his family's ordeal in August 2024.

"I put his feet into the sea water and I just suddenly went into panic mode, realising this is really serious, and he's not just burned, he's burned really badly," said Lee.

Edison was treated by specialist burns doctors at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

The toddler had to have sand removed from his feet, under general anaesthetic, and could not stand up for two weeks.

"He was just absolutely beside himself because it was so painful," said Lee.

"I've played it over in my head so much, saying I wish it was me and not Edison, but really, I just wish it couldn't have happened to anyone. It was horrible."

Dr Abhishek Potturi, a paediatrician at Lincoln County Hospital, said he did not advise using disposable barbecues at the beach, and anyone doing so should take great caution.

He said sand retained a lot of heat and had the potential to cause third-degree burns.

"Heat gets trapped in the sand and it can stay there for a long period of time. It can take hours to cool, or even overnight," said Dr Potturi.

The family had used their disposable barbecue at lunchtime, in an area away from where their children were playing, and disposed of it immediately afterwards.

When they later discovered the sand was still hot, Lee said one relative cooled the area with water and the sand "erupted like a volcano".

"It was really quite scary how the sand reacted, which just shows how hot that sand was," he said.

Edison has not been left with any lasting damage, and Lee said he felt "so relieved".

"It was like I'd won the lottery, I just couldn't believe it," he added.

Earlier this year, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said disposable barbecues had become a "significant issue" for firefighters.

Dan Moss, an area manager with the service, called for people to be "really vigilant", saying said fires could start when the single-use trays were used in the wrong setting or not discarded properly.

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