Two Burned In Camp Mishaps
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday January 1, 2009
HOLIDAYMAKERS have been warned to be careful around campsites after a woman and a toddler were badly burned in separate incidents on the South Coast.
A 46-year-old Bankstown woman suffered first degree burns to 60 per cent of her body after a gas bottle exploded at a Sussex Inlet caravan park on Tuesday night.Illawarra Ambulance district manager Norm Rees said the gas bottle was under an annexe attached to a caravan.The woman suffered burns to her face, arms, chest and legs and was first taken to Shoalhaven Hospital, where she was stabilised before being airlifted by ambulance rescue helicopter to a Sydney burns unit.Twelve hours earlier, a nine-month-old toddler staying with her family at the Beach Haven Caravan Park in Ulladulla suffered burns to 20 per cent of her body, after a kettle full of boiling water fell on top of her.Mr Rees said the kettle had been on top of a camp fridge when the toddler pulled the cord, bringing it down.She suffered burns to her arms and legs and was treated at Milton Hospital before being transported by CareFlight Helicopter to the Children's Hospital at Westmead.Mr Rees said ambulance callouts to gas bottle explosions were not uncommon and advised people to have the bottles checked by authorised agents before use."Many of these bottles only come out as an annual thing and people are unaware that they have become faulty," he said."Under new legislation gas bottles are supposed to be disposed of after 10 years and they should be checked by an authorised dealer in the interim."
© 2009 Illawarra Mercury
