The challenge involves lighting spray paint on fire, and as of May 2, #flamethrowerchallenge has nearly 200,000 views on TikTok. The boy’s mother, Holli Dark, told WRAL News her son is “unrecognizable.”
In late April, Mason Dark participated in the trend before “a big boom” emitted and he jumped in a river. He has undergone surgery for skin grafts.
Mr. Dark is currently being treated at UNC Burn Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., for third-degree burns spanning between 70 percent and 80 percent of his body.
Read more about dangerous social media trends here.
