Man suffers burns in YouTube fire craze

| 11/08/2014

(CNS): A 26-year-old Bodden Town man was treated at the George Town hospital at the weekend as a result of self-inflicted wounds sustained during the latest craze gripping young men looking for dangerous thrills to record on social media videos. Police said that they hoped that this would be the first and last time that 911 had to deal with this sort of thing as they warned of the dangers of the absurd new trend. The man in this case had rubbed some form of flammable liquid on his torso on Friday night (8 August) and set himself on fire at around eleven o'clock. Police and paramedics responded to the 911 call at 11:11pm after he put out the flames and the extent of his injuries were realized.

Police said that when they and the paramedics arrived on the scene the man was taken to the GT hospital, where he was treated for burns to his torso.

“This is a dangerous act and can have fatal results," said Chief Inspector Brad Ebanks from the RCIPS Eastern Districts. "At the very least, one can be physically and emotionally scarred for life. I hope that this is the last report of this nature that we receive."

Although the craze is not unique to Cayman, the videos that were posted on YouTube from Cayman were brought to the attention of the police last week.

Category: Local News

About the Author ()

Comments (31)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. I am so smrt says:

    i have been holding my breath for 18 minu

  2. Anonymous says:

    Nice of channel 27 to help this fad along by publishing another rocket scientist doing it a few days ago. Nice going 27!

  3. Anonymous says:

    26????…………Oh!!, I get it ………..Bodden Town resident……..now it makes sense.
    Civilized, educated people, not on drugs and government assistance do not have time to set
    themselfs on fire for kicks. A cry for help perhaps? Or the next "Caymans Got Tallent" loser.

    • Anon. says:

      When criticizing persons about their "lack of education"–underhandedly done or not–please ensure your grammar is correct because improper grammar translates a lack of education, too. It's a bit shameful to see it in general, but even more so in this context and for your purpose. Further, my point is that "themselfs", as you used, is not a word; the correct spelling is "themselves". It's hard for me to view that as a typo (which would have been totally fine and understandable) because it appears to be overgeneralizing a plural form from the English language. Note: I am only being critical because you dug your own hole: in an indirect manner, you said the person, whose actions are being reported here, is uneducated (among other labels), but expressed yourself with an uneducated error. Ironic, indeed!

      • Anonymous says:

        Civilized, educated people, not on drugs and government assistance do not have time to set themselves on fire for kicks.

  4. Anonymous says:

    As a Caymanian business owner, I am constantly amazed and embarassed by the behavior
    of our youth. This is a prime example of who the NWDA send to my door and expect me to
    hire. Education starts in the home, should be focused during schooling, and realized with
    maturity. 

    • Anonymous says:

      i havent set myself on fire before and am currently searching for employment, think you can help me out?

  5. Anonymous says:

    Is it one Youtube?  Can someone post the link?

  6. Anon says:

    The whole world seems to have gone crazy with social media – everything has to be "posted" and some fool tries everything that is posted. 

  7. Anonymous says:

    As my 6 year old son would say:  DA WA YUH GET ….

  8. Anonymous says:

    Tink dat roof been on fire sum time….

  9. Anonymous says:

    Natural selection….

  10. Anonymous says:

    Tool.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Generally people this stupid will kill themselves before breeding.  I just consider it a necessary part of evolution.

  12. Wrongful Journalism! says:

    Right away I blame this incident on CAYMAN 27!  Why in the world would you make this STUPIDITY news in the first place!  Yes the News!  Next thing you know they will also show more stupid YouTube pranks of kids holding their breath!  I mean this is rediculous.

    CAYMAN 27 HAS TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE ON THEIR NEWS COVERAGE!  THEY HAD NO BUSINESS GIVING STORIES LIKE THESE ANY ATTENTION!  THEY ARE HALF TO BLAME FOR THIS MAN'S BURNING AND ANY OTHER THAT WILL FOLLOWS SUIT!

    • Anonymous says:

      08.39…if you really beleive that Cayman 27 is to blame then I suggest you stop watching TV altogether, stay away from computers and avoid any type of situation in which there are sharp instruments anywhere near..

      Unless I misheard or misread something nobody directly told him to do this, he did it out of what appears to be complete stupidity..a 26 year old man who does not understand the risk of playing with fire?

      Now if you really beleive the media is responsible then please read the following carefully, it is after all on the media.

      Go to SMB, get in the sea and swim in the direction of the setting sun. In a little while you will reach Mexico where this is pure gold on the beaches just waiting to be picked up and put in your pocket.

    • Anonymous says:

      I have a different view. I am glad that CNS brought this to light (no pun intended). I am a teacher and did not know about this. I do not live in GC, but will talk to my students about the dangers about this "new craze". I have since researched this "craze" and realize it is taking place in many places and with many age groups.

    • Anonymous says:

      Not sure why he thumbs down here. Their showing of some lovable clown doing it could only seve to encourage. 

    • Anonymous says:

      So, Bright Box, YouTube get a free pass?  Hey…did the dumb futz post his prank on YouTube?

      I wanna see!!

  13. Anonymous says:

    ATTENTION DEFICIT at the age of 26 –

    Not good.

  14. Anonymous says:

    I hope this idiot gets a bill for the wasted emergency services costs.

  15. Anonymous says:

     

    The spiral of the gene pool tightens. 

  16. Anonymous says:

    Stupid is as Stupid does…

  17. Anonymous says:

    Cant fix stupid…

     

  18. Anonymous says:

    At 26 years old? Really? What was he thinking?

    At that age he should : 1. know the how dangerous lighting himself on fire would be 2. having something more productive to do than a craze for you tube.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Sounds like he wasn’t trying hard enough!

  20. Anonymous says:

    An absurd new trend ?

    Call it a trend, and it will be come a self fulfilling prophecy.

    Call it just an idiot without a brain, sounds better to me.

  21. Anonyanmous says:

    What is happening to our young people and this stupidity with posting on YouTube?

    • Anonymous says:

      "Young", um 26 is too close to 30 to consider as young anymore, this is behaviour that is expected from a 15 year old. Jus' sayin'.