Joe Mitchell had thought the air duster can would melt but instead it burst into flames igniting the teenager’s jumper
Joe Mitchell in the aftermath(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
Doctors told the family that Joe had suffered four per cent burns to his face, neck and hands, and had to remove layers of dead skin. Luckily, the teen’s burns were only superficial and he was discharged home after four days in hospital.
A teen was left with half his face “melted off” after lighting an aerosol can during a moment of “stupidity”. Joe Mitchell was rushed to hospital after he set fire to an air duster his mum had bought to help clean his PlayStation.
The 13-year-old had thought it would melt the empty can, but instead it immediately lit up, setting fire to his jumper, then to the bedroom walls. Joel’s dad ripped off his jumper and rushed him into a freezing cold shower before he was taken to hospital in an ambulance.
He was immediately transferred to the burns unit at Salisbury District Hospital in Wiltshire for treatment to his injuries. Luckily, his burns were superficial and he was allowed home four days later.
Joe Mitchell suffered facial burns after lighting an aerosol can(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
Now his mum, Leanne Gray, is trying to raise awareness of the danger of aerosols saying: “It could have been fatal. Everyone needs to be aware.”
The 37-year-old told how she was at home on the afternoon of November 8 last year when she received a call telling her Joe had burnt his face. The mum-of-three raced to the teen, who was staying at his dad’s house, to find his red, raw face had ‘melted off’.
The facepainter and bar team leader, who lives in Petersfield, near Portsmouth, said “I was at home when I saw Joe’s dad had called me. I answered the phone and he said ‘oh my god, Joe’s burnt his face’. I saw Joe on FaceTime and immediately said ‘ring an ambulance right now’.
“He looked like his face had melted off. You couldn’t even see Joe’s face. His face was red raw, his hands were blistered.
“Later on that evening, Joe told me that he was in his bedroom and had an air canister – the ones that blow out dust in consoles and things. He had used it to clean his PlayStation 5 and realised it was empty.
“He realised when he pressed the button, fluid was coming out and it was freezing when it was making contact with the cap. He picked up his big brother’s lighter and tried to melt it, thinking it was frozen but it wasn’t. It’s obviously incredibly flammable.
“Where he had been spraying it, it had clung to his jumper and so the flames jumped onto his jumper and as he ran out to his dad, he flapped the flames and it went right up around his head. His dad immediately tried to put it out and it went onto the walls, and the walls were on fire.
“He was on fire for under 10 seconds. His dad ripped his jumper off and stamped on it onto the floor. He chucked Joe straight into the shower.”
Joe was rushed to hospital where doctors treated his burns that had spread across his face, neck and hands. Luckily, Joe’s injuries were only superficial thanks to his dad’s quick actions.
Leanne said: “They told me his dad’s quick thinking of getting him in the shower was the reason it didn’t go any deeper. It would’ve just continued to burn through the layers of skin.
“They’re very hopeful there won’t be any scarring. He’ll have to wear suncream on his face for the rest of his life. We’ve all done it and I don’t think any of us realise how dangerous it is to play around with these compressed canisters until something happens to you.
“Joe just got unlucky and was on the receiving end of how bad it can be. It’s stupid things like these that can have really horrific outcomes.
“If his dad hadn’t have been there, I don’t think Joe would’ve known what to do. I think it could’ve been fatal. Everybody needs to be aware, not just children.
“Everyone has done it. Don’t put flames anywhere near aerosols ever. I’ve told him he’s going to be using a roll-on deodorant from now on.”
