A man suffered horrific leg burns after a vape battery exploded in his pocket. Gavin Sutherland, from Orkney, was at work when the lithium battery he used to charge his vape "went off like a firework" inside the pocket of his jeans. The impact seared the flesh on his thigh and melted his clothes into the wound.
Immediate Aftermath
Quick-thinking colleagues drove Gavin to Balfour Hospital in Kirkwall, but he collapsed at A&E in extreme pain. He was later airlifted to a specialist burns and plastics unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Jewellery workshop operator Gavin, 40, told the Record: "I was working away when I heard a hiss and felt movement in my pocket. The vape battery went off like a firework - there was a blast and a lot of heat, smoke and noise. Then the pain went searing into my thigh."
"I knew immediately it was something to do with the battery, but it happened so fast. I was swearing and running around in a panic but I didn't know whether to use water or an extinguisher on it. The battery actually fell to the ground after it burned through my pocket. It was agony."
Injury Details
Lithium batteries are commonly used in vapes as the energy converts liquid into vapour. They can be inserted into a vape and charged via a USB port. Gavin used a sharp knife to trim away the denim and fabric of his boxer shorts that had melted onto the wound. His colleagues placed a burn gel pack on his leg and drove him to hospital.
The explosion left him with a severe injury where his pocket had been and another finger-length wound that was one and a half inches wide. His burns were so extreme that he was airlifted by Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to undergo skin grafts.
Recovery and Gratitude
Gavin said: "I just remember collapsing in A&E. The pain was so extreme. At first I thought I'd get some cream and a telling off but it became serious quickly. I could see the severity of the wound as they worked on cleaning it."
Gavin has since undergone several skin grafts. He has been left permanently scarred but avoided muscle damage. Now recovering at home, the dad sent an emotional message to the crew who cared for him at Scotland's Air Ambulance charity. His nine-year-old son Caleb also staged a 20-mile sponsored cycle, raising nearly £7,000 for the charity.
Gavin added: "It was a really emotional, overwhelming and painful experience. The crew was really reassuring, I knew I was in safe hands. I can't imagine what getting to the mainland would have been like without them. They do life-saving work, especially for island and remote communities like mine. I can't thank them enough for being there for me. You can't really appreciate the amazing work they do until you or your loved ones are personally involved. We're so lucky to have a charity like SCAA in Scotland. It's reassuring for everyone to know that if the situation is critical or life-threatening, SCAA could be there to save your bacon."
