By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
ROCKWELL ó A Rockwell child injured by hot grease Saturday has been released from the burn center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
The 8-year-old boy, who attends Bostian Elementary School, was injured at a fish fry/cookout at 6006 Sapp Road, a few hundred feet inside the Cabarrus County line.
Initial reports indicated the child fell into a deep fryer.
Barbara Norris, the child’s mother, and Len Norris, the stepfather, sent an e-mail to the Post explaining what happened and sharing the good news.
“We were at a gathering with some friends having a fish fry/cookout at their house … every precaution with children there was taken,” they wrote.
According to the e-mail, the fryer had been turned off and was moved up against the house, out of the way of people.
The group was getting ready to eat when the child came running by. “I said his name he stopped again then tripped and fell. While falling his feet hit the fryer and turned it over on him,” they wrote.
“As far as the burns are concerned he has burns on his hand, ankle, and back. The burns could have been worse if I and my friend had not reacted so swiftly in removing all of his clothes.
The child was released Monday and is now receiving treatment at home. The couple wrote that his doctor said “he is expected to make a full recovery.”
The Rimer Volunteer Fire Department responded to the mishap with Bostian Heights firefighters setting up a landing zone for a medical helicopter.
Rimer officials repeatedly said they had no information or could not give out any information because of federal privacy regulations regarding personal health information.
A man who identified himself as a Rimer firefighter and was at the 6006 Sapp Road address Wednesday also refused to answer any questions. He advised a neighbor and her daughter not to answer any questions, again citing the federal regulations.
Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254.