A seven-year-old girl was badly injured after stepping on a hot barbecue which had been buried in the sand on a beach. Simi Adenaike, 7, and her mum, Alex Adenaike, were all set to enjoy a day at the seaside with their family.
They hadn't been on the beach for long when the incident occurred, which resulted in the youngster being left in agony and possibly needing surgery. Simi's mum, Alex, said the children had been running around on the sand when she heard a 'horrifying scream.'
She explained: "We had only just arrived at the beach and were looking forward to having some fun. The children started playing almost immediately and had been running around in the sand. We heard a horrifying scream and my daughter came running back.
Read more: Holidaying couple's anger after thieves strike at hotel 'regularly targeted by known criminals'
"She was in so much pain, she was unable to tell us what happened. Eventually we realised one of her feet was very red and blistered. We had some help from some other visitors on the beach to cool down the burn with water and we got her to hospital immediately."
The family found a disposable BBQ buried in the sand and were told by witnesses that a group had been seen burying the foil tray before leaving, reports HullLive. Alex's mum said: "This is so upsetting and my daughter is now needing further treatment and possibly a skin graft.
"The Council has made the effort to install disposable BBQ bins and there was one not far from where the BBQ had been buried."
Cyril Anderson, Swansea Cabinet Member for Community said: "This incident is horrendous and we wish Simi and her family all the best as she receives medical treatment. The dangers associated with discarding or leaving disposable BBQs on our beaches are well known and that's why we have gone to the trouble of installing fifteen bins at all of our beaches.
"Anyone who thinks that it's OK to bury BBQs or any other waste in the sand on a day out is simply irresponsible and thoughtless to the injuries they can cause to beach users. We've invested thousands of pounds installing permanent BBQ waste bins along Swansea Bay beach and also at Port Eynon, Horton, Caswell and Langland with more to come at Rotherslade.
"BBQs and charcoal retain their heat for hours after they've been used and can cause serious burns for people who accidentally step on them."
The Council's beach cleansing teams clean the beaches every morning during the summer and throughout the day. They are often supported by volunteers. Additional teams also target littering hotspots at the busiest times.
Read next:
-
Woman, 21, given terrifying diagnosis after visiting GP with blurred vision
-
ASDA delivery driver finds 90-year-old sat in the dark and goes viral for what he did
-
Aldi shoppers go wild for £5 homeware SpecialBuy that's 'the same as' £150 designer version
-
Instant fine warning issued to Brits with Vodafone, Virgin Media, TalkTalk or Sky Broadband
