A boy, 12, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania suffered second-degree burns on his back after he took part in a dangerous fad making its way across the country these days. The unidentified boy took part in the game or challenge with his friends and his brother this past weekend.
The challenge, which is simply known as the ‘salt and ice challenge,’ is popping up on social networking sites and YouTube. The game is played by kids pressing salt and ice on their skin so long as they can tolerate the burning pain or until they become injured. The injuries that occur when playing this game are eerily similar to frostbite, which can become incredibly severe. We have the photos in this post so be warned that they are incredibly graphic and might not be suitable for children.
The boy will need a couple of months to recover and a statement was released by his family that warns other young kids about the dangers of the game. The statement is as follows:
“We want teenagers and the general public to know that the ‘salt and ice challenge’ is extremely dangerous. Videos on You Tube, Facebook and other social media do not accurately show the terrible injuries that can result. We are grateful that our son is recovering and hope that sharing his story will stop other young people from attempting this stunt.”
The injuries to the boy comes just two months after officials from local schools sent home a letter informing and warning parents of the dangers of the game and how its popularity is spreading amongst the students.