Amanda Insley, is sounding the alarm after her one-and-a-half year-old son allegedly received second- and third-degree burns to the bottom of both feet at the Shannon Park splash pad in Kingston’s north end Sunday afternoon.
According to Insley, her son, who was running around barefoot, ran across a metal access door in the ground and fell over screaming.
“He dropped and was screaming and he would not stand, he just dropped to his bum again and that’s when we saw the bottom of his foot,” she said.
Insley called 911 and had her son rushed to Kingston General Hospital.
Thomas was treated for second- and third-degree burns on the bottom of both feet.
“It’s taking both of us to keep him distracted and keep him off his feet,” Insley said. “He’s not really sleeping because it hurts.”
City officials say the Shannon Park splash pad is the only one in the city that has a metal access door for the water shut-off in the vicinity of the water area.
Since the incident, city crews have spray-painted the access door yellow and place a barricade over top of it.
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City of Kingston official Shelia Kidd, whose official title is Commissioner, Transportation and Public Works, says the paint and the barricade are temporary solutions and conversations will need to be had about how to make the splash pad safer.
“In this case, we need to take a step to find a permanent solution.”
Since going public with her story, Insley has received a lot of backlash for not providing her son with shoes, despite city signage.
Insley says she’s sharing her experience in hopes another child doesn’t get hurt.
“If a child falls on it, that would be even worse,” Insley said. “That would be a widespread burn.”
Thomas will have follow-up appointments at the hospital in the coming days and weeks, and once healed will be monitored for long-term nerve damage.
As for the splash pad, city officials say they have been in contact with the family to express their concern and are committed to ensuring all members of the public are able to enjoy city spaces safely.
Kidd says city officials will be having conversations in the coming weeks on how to make the Shannon Park splash pad safer.