A schoolboy ended up with a huge metal spring embedded in his back after a horrific trampoline accident.
Twelve-year-old Jamie Quinlan was left with a spring stuck two inches (5cm) into his back after it shot off 'like a bullet' on Saturday 31 August.
His parents say the six inch long (15cm) metal spring was moving at around 70mph when it hit Jamie's back.
The boy had been playing on the trampoline at his friend's house when he felt a 'strange and heavy sensation' in his back before he collapsed in agony. The spring hit just centimetres away from his spine.
Advert
Now his parents Ian and Sandra are speaking out about the potential dangers of garden toys following the shocking incident.
Ian, 62, said: "It was a terrible thing to happen, and it really scared me.
"It could have happened to anyone. Jamie has been so brave.
"I want people to be aware of how dangerous trampolines can be if there's no cover on the springs, or if there's a gap.
Advert
"The spring had come off the trampoline like a bullet. If it had hit elsewhere on Jamie's body, in his head or throat, we could have lost him.
"Children are the most important things in our lives, so people need to be aware of the dangers in their own back garden."
Jamie, from Louth in Lincolnshire, was rushed to Sheffield Children's Hospital, where he had to undergo emergency surgery to remove the object.
Jamie said: "When I was in the waiting room at the hospital, I was really nervous.
Advert
"It took them about ten minutes to actually get the spring out of my back.
"The doctors said they had never heard of something like this happening with a trampoline.
"Sometimes it still feels like the spring is in my back, but I am getting a lot better and stronger now. I feel relieved that it wasn't worse."
Jamie was released from hospital on Monday (2 September) and is now recovering at home.
Advert
Ian added: "I just want to speak out to warn parents to check trampolines because one loose spring could be lethal."
Featured Image Credit: SWNSTopics: uk news