SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A La Jolla family calls for change after their one-year-old stepped in hot coals next to Kellogg Park.
Clinging to his dad, Sennan Goldberg is acting about how you'd expect for his age. But on Friday, he was wearing a pair of green socks. They tell the story of a week that's anything but normal for most one-year-olds.
On Monday morning, a family member was walking with Sennan when the toddler stepped on hot coals buried under a pile of sand and dirt at Kellogg Park.
"Full-thickness second-degree burns through the middle of his feet. Through the sides, over on top of his toes," said Sarah Goldberg, Sennan's mother. "The skin fell off within minutes. We're lucky that we live so close that we rushed him to the ER."
The parents say it's unclear whether his feet will have permanent damage. But for now, he has to wear layers of gauze under his socks and see burn specialists almost every day.
"He's in a lot of pain," said Goldberg. "He's screaming at night; he's got severe separation anxiety."
The hot coals were buried just a couple hundred feet away from a charcoal pit.
The City of San Diego already banned beach bonfires outside of designated fire pits last year, but the Goldbergs say people don't always obey the law.
Sennan's mother, Sarah, thinks the city should ban outdoor charcoal fires altogether.
"I'm advocating now for a complete ban on charcoal grills in the vicinity of where children are encouraged to play," said Goldberg. "The two are just not compatible."
Carlos Olivares works with the Burn Institute in San Diego. He says multiple people get injured by hot coals at the beach every year, and they can stay hot for as long as 24 hours.
"It's not always red when it's hot," said Olivares. "Sometimes it could be gray and it could be steaming hot still, so it's very dangerous. My suggestion is to always throw it and dispose it into the coal areas assigned by the county."
Click here to check out the Burn Institute's website. They have resources for burn survivors and tips to stay safe.
