Woman left with second-degree burns after hot water bottle 'explodes'

Woman left with second-degree burns after hot water bottle 'explodes' WARNING: this article contains an image of the burns A business owner had her own skin sprayed back onto her after she claims a hot water bottle exploded, leaving her with horrific burns across her legs and groin. Megan Shannon said she wrapped her long hot water bottle — purchased just six months earlier from Home Bargains — around her waist in an attempt to ease her period pains. However, after just 10 minutes of use of the £7.99 Home Collections long hot water bottle, the 30 year old claims she heard a 'pop' before suddenly feeling scalding water searing her skin. As she stood up, the boiling water streamed down her legs, leaving her screaming in agony as her boyfriend rushed to her aid. In a desperate attempt to relieve the burns, she stepped into the shower and doused her skin with cold water while her boyfriend dialled for an ambulance. Megan was rushed to Whiston Hospital in Prescot, where a team of plastic surgeons confirmed she had suffered second-degree burns to her thighs, lower stomach and groin. Three days later, Megan underwent a skin graft procedure known as Recell, in which clinicians create a spray using a patient's own skin cells, and was discharged nine days after that. Now, 16 months on from her ordeal in June 2025, Megan is telling her story to alert others to the very real dangers that hot water bottles can pose. Bottle was to help with period pains Megan, from Liverpool, said: "I had period pains, I always use hot water bottles to soothe my pains because I don't want to rely on medicine. It was long like a scarf. I bought it in December 2024. He [my boyfriend] gave me the hot water bottle and went in the shower. "I was lying (down) watching TV and it was on me for about 10 minutes. I just heard a pop and felt the hot water trickle down my stomach, my legs, my thighs, my pelvis. "I started screaming, my boyfriend got out of the shower. I was burned from the top of my abs to my upper thighs and my boyfriend had to phone the ambulance. "It was boiling hot water, I was scorched. It's the worst physical pain I've ever been in, it's like having my skin unpeeled multiple times in the same area. "I stood up and the hot water trickled down on me. Because my boyfriend was having a hot shower we had to stand there and wait for the water to go cold, for what felt like a lifetime. "I got in the cold shower. When the ambulance people arrived they told me if I hadn't put cold water on them there would have been third-degree burns." Excruciating agony Megan revealed she suffered agonising blisters that medics were forced to 'peel off' her body, with her injuries leaving her struggling to walk properly. Although her burns have largely healed, Megan says lingering 'shadows' on her skin have left her feeling self-conscious. Megan said: "They had a team of plastic surgeons, doctors and nurses to assess the burns. My groin, upper thighs and my lower abs had first and second-degree burns. "It was petrifying. I had to have surgery, a treatment called Recell, it's a skin graft treatment. They take skin from somewhere in my body and spray it back onto me. "The pain was horrendous. It's the equivalent of bleaching my body and scraping it off again. "I had blisters on me. They had to physically pick and peel them, I was screaming in agony. "To be comfortable walking it took weeks and because of the area I wasn't even able to wear underwear. My mental health went so down after that. "You can still see a shadow in the areas but that's to be expected, it's made me really self-conscious now. As a woman it's hard enough to wear a bikini and feel confident, and to have scars on top of that [is difficult]." 'Never again' Following her harrowing ordeal, Megan said she would never go near a hot water bottle again. Megan said: "I'd never use a hot water bottle again. [My advice is] just bin them. The doctors recommended a microwaveable wheat bag instead." A Home Bargains spokesperson said: "We take the safety of our customers extremely seriously, which is why all our hot water bottles are stringently tested to ensure they meet the relevant safety standards and are labelled with appropriate safety warnings. Hot water bottles can pose a risk of burns if they are not cared for or used correctly, which is why it is important that customers follow the safety instructions provided. "We are very sorry to hear about Megan's experience and wish her well in her recovery. We take all reports of this nature sisters and we would be happy to work directly with Megan to better understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and would encourage her to get in touch with us to enable us to look into this matter further."