21-year-old Evan Spahlinger’s sister was in another room with her 2-year-old when she heard an explosion.
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“It’s his face, he has burns on his neck too that I’m seeing”, she says. He is suffering from internal and external burns and lung damage, as doctors believe the mouth piece of the e-cigarette may have been sucked down his throat after the initial explosion and exploded a second time there.
Spahlinger was rushed to NCH Downtown Naples Hospital before he was later flown to a Miami hospital to be treated. Richardson said he’s in a medically induced coma so he’s not in pain.
“I was laying in bed with my two-year old and I heard an explosion”, said Ema Richardson.
Family members didn’t say what type or brand of e-cigarette Spahlinger was using and it’s unknown what caused it to explode.
Though her brother is now out cold, she said he was able to cough out a few words to her before being given a controlled dose of an anesthetic.
“He said, ‘I’m done, that’s it.’ That’s the only thing he said”. The report stated explosions can occur when the lithium batteries fail, the device overheats or the while the device is charging. A jury just awarded a California woman almost $2 million after her e-cigarette exploded and left her with serious burns.
She voiced her concerns about the unknown risks of electronic cigarettes.
“I hope that people see this and think twice before they spend their hard-earned money on something that could really change their life forever”, Stefanacci said.
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As a recent e-cig enthusiast, this story is particularly troubling.
