21-05-2025
6-year-old Chino boy suffers third-degree burns after touching electrical vault at park
A six-year-old Chino boy is recovering after suffering third-degree burns he suffered when he stepped on an electrical vault at a park last week.
Allison Scott was the first person to rush to the boy's aid after seeing him fall to the ground.
"He's laid out, but his hands are clenched," she recalled. It was then she realized it was far from an ordinary playground tumble. "I squatted down to pick him up and tried to stand him up and he couldn't stand."
The electrical vault cover prior to the incident.
Allison Scott
She says that the boy came in contact with an electrical vault, which is located underneath the sidewalk near the snack stand at Heritage Park on May 10, while there were several baseball games ongoing.
The boy suffered third-degree burns to his stomach that required surgery, Scott said.
She says she now realizes that the electrical current could have also transferred to her when she picked the boy up, but she was just doing what any mother would have.
"This could have been a very different situation," Scott said.
Matthew Bramlett, a spokesperson for the city of Chino, says that they're investigation what happened, and that they've already taking measures to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Though the vault was covered at the time of the incident, the electrical current somehow transferred through to the boy. They've replaced the covering and the vault, and the area is now marking with large bold letters spelling out "electrical."
"We completely replaced the vault, replaced the lid, we replaced the concrete casing around the vault, so everything is brand new," Bramlett said.
The replaced electrical vault covering following the incident.
KCAL News
With 27 parks throughout the city, officials have put plans in motion to evaluate similar vaults at all locations to make sure that the necessary steps can be taken to ensure the safety of park goers.
"We want to make sure everything is in tiptop shape," Bramlett said. "Everything is safe and secure, and parks remain welcoming to the community."
