A 4-year-old boy, identified as Ryker Corona, was reportedly left with second-degree burns after an explosion involving an indoor s’mores maker at an Oklahoma museum over the weekend.
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According to KOCO, the incident occurred on Saturday, June 21, at the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum, located in Seminole, Oklahoma. At around noon, firefighters responded to reports of a burn incident during an activity at the museum.
While talking to the outlet, the museum’s executive director explained that the incident involved a s’mores maker machine that was recently purchased for their event, Hello Summer Celebration. As part of the event, “s’mores” were scheduled to take place between 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., when the incident occurred.
Makala Pevehouse told KWTV that an explosion occurred after Ryker’s mother handed the 4-year-old a s’more. According to the woman, the explosion involved hand sanitizer and a grill.
Moments later, Ryker was engulfed in flames.
“At first, you just see, like…big flames. And then I looked down and the little boy’s on the floor, like, flopping around, trying to put himself out,” witness Dayce Phillips told the outlet.
Immediately, parents present at the scene attempted to put out the fire by dousing him with water.
Boy Hospitalized
Eventually, Ryker Corona was airlifted to Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum. Pevehouse revealed that the boy had sustained second-degree burns to his face, chest, and arms.
In a media release, the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum addressed the incident. The museum stated that a visiting child suffered a burn injury during a “hands-on activity.”
“First aid was administered immediately by trained staff, and emergency services were contacted,” the museum said.
“The safety and well-being of every child and family who visits our museum is our highest priority. We are conducting a thorough review of the incident, and the activity in question has been suspended while we evaluate and revise safety protocols to prevent any future occurrences.”
A GoFundMe was set up to cover Ryker’s treatment and his family’s needs. The fundraiser shows a graphic photo of the child’s burned face. Additionally, it revealed that the 2-year-old had successfully undergone his first surgery at the Oklahoma City hospital.