A seven-year old girl sustained serious burns on her foot after standing on a disposable barbecue which had been buried in the sand on a beach in Swansea, Wales.
Simi Adenaike is awaiting confirmation from doctors as to whether she needs a skin graft after she endured severe burns.
Arriving on Swansea Bay beach with her mother Alex Adenaike, and other family members, Simi screamed in agony upon standing on the hidden barbecue.
Initially, the family assumed their daughter had stood on glass or been stung by a bee, but soon uncovered the still roasting hot barbecue covered in sand.
Simi Adenaike could undergo a skin graft following severe burns from hidden beach barbecue
Swansea Council
Beachgoers are urged to dispose of beach barbecues in special bins provided
Colin Lane
Ms Adenaike told Swansea Council: "We had only just arrived at the beach and were looking forward to having some fun. The children started playing almost immediately and had been running around in the sand. We heard a horrifying scream and my daughter came running back.
"She was in so much pain, she was unable to tell us what happened. Eventually we realised one of her feet was very red and blistered.
"We had some help from some other visitors on the beach to cool down the burn with water and we got her to hospital immediately."
Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Community, Cyril Anderson, said: "This incident is horrendous and we wish Simi and her family all the best as she receives medical treatment.
"The dangers associated with discarding or leaving disposable BBQs on our beaches are well known and that's why we have gone to the trouble of installing 15 bins at all of our beaches.
"Anyone who thinks that it's OK to bury BBQs or any other waste in the sand on a day out is simply irresponsible and thoughtless to the injuries they can cause to beach users.
"We've invested thousands of pounds installing permanent BBQ waste bins along Swansea Bay beach and also at Port Eynon, Horton, Caswell and Langland with more to come at Rotherslade.
"BBQs and charcoal retain their heat for hours after they've been used and can cause serious burns for people who accidentally step on them."
Barbecues and charcoal retain their heat for hours after they have been used.
