A 15-year-old boy was airlifted to hospital after suffering burns to his lower body in a field near the White Horse Pub in Darlington. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon, and police have described it as a tragic accident.
Emergency response
Police, paramedics, and air ambulance crews were called to the scene just after 4:50 pm. The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) dispatched an ambulance crew and the air ambulance, who treated the patient before airlifting him to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
Durham Constabulary said the boy is believed to have been using petrol when it was accidentally set alight. He remains in a stable condition at the hospital.
Police statement
A police statement said: "Police were called just after 5.05pm yesterday (August 3) following reports that a teenage boy had suffered burns in Darlington. The incident is thought to have happened in a field near the White Horse Pub, in Harrowgate Hill."
The statement added: "A 15-year-old boy is believed to have been using petrol when it was accidentally set alight. He was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, for treatment where he remains today in a stable condition. The incident is thought to have been a tragic accident and is not currently being treated as criminal."
Air ambulance details
The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) activated its critical care team at 5:04 pm. A spokesperson said: "We had a paramedic and doctor on board our aircraft and they arrived on scene at 5.11pm. Our team worked alongside the North East Ambulance Service to assess and treat a patient and airlifted them to hospital."
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) was not involved in the incident.
