A man in Colorado may never be able to taste again after a flashlight exploded in his mouth last Tuesday, KUSA-TV reported.
Christopher Reid Carrington was looking for tools in the back of his truck when he placed the flashlight in his mouth. But the flashlight somehow exploded, sending blood streaming from his mouth, the station reported.
His 7-year-old son called 911 because the explosion left Carrington unable to talk.
The Lakewood man was treated for third-degree burns to his tongue, lips and throat at University of Colorado Hospital's Intensive Care Burn Unit. He told the station he spent the next several days in a hospital bed breathing with a tube down his throat.
Though the burns are expected to heal in a few weeks, doctors say the incident might have permanently damaged his vocal cords. Doctors also say he may have lost the ability to taste, KUSA-TV reported.
Engineering experts are now studying the 325 LED Flashlight to determine why it exploded, Carrington told the station.
