A 15-year-old teenage boy from California had lost some of his fingers and left with severe injuries after his vape exploded.
Aiden Dean Adams, 15, had been sneakily caping since he was 10. His parents said they would find vapes hidden around his room and would plead with their teen son not to use them due to health risks. He was also known to pick up vapes that had been discarded and modify them so they could work.
Their son walked to an overpass near their home in Bakersfield one day so he could smoke. However, the vape was not working correctly. Thinking something was just misaligned inside the device, Aiden hit the vape against the ground and brought it to his mouth again.
"Boom. A big flash is all [Aiden] remembers," Robert Dean Adams, his father, said, as quoted by The Daily Mail.
What Was the Extent of His Injuries?
A stranger who spotted the injured Aiden was able to drive him home after the incident. Robert said his son was covered in blood when he came back. Part of his hair was burned, and his fingers were "hanging." His tissues and bones were exposed.
"The palm of his hand was just turned inside out," Robert said. "The very base of the thumb all the way down to where it meets the wrist. That was all hanging off."
Read Also: Video of 16-Year-Old Mom Letting Baby Inhale Vape Goes Viral; Police Checks on Child's Condition
Aiden was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was whisked into surgery. Doctors amputated part of his middle and index fingers.
Other Vape Explosions
There have been other similar incidents over the years. In January of this year, an individual from Sarasota, Florida, suffered 2nd and 3rd-degree burns on their right leg and hand after their vape exploded in their pocket.
In February 2019, an e-cigarette pen blew up when 24-year-old William Brown tried to use it. The explosion sent shards of metal into Brown's face and neck, severing an artery. He died two days later.
Later that year, a 17-year-old teen was left with broken teeth and a hole in his jaw when his vape exploded while he was using it. The boy healed after six weeks and two surgeries, per CNN.
