Student set on fire in woodwork class incident

Fire and ambulance officers attend to the injured teenager while waiting for the Westpac Helicopter to arrive. Photo / NZ Herald

Witnesses said a 14-year-old who suffered severe burns to 35 per cent of his body after an accident in woodwork class rolled on the ground while students whacked him with their clothes to douse the flames.

Jamie Knox, a Year 10 student at Waiuku College, south of Auckland, was yesterday in Middlemore Hospital waiting to undergo surgery for partial to superficial burns to his chest, legs and arms.

The Department of Labour is investigating the incident which happened while the teenager was racing a small toy boat against other students' during first period, the Herald understands.

The boat had a burner on it which is lit to heat coils and propel it forward. The burner was filled with methylated spirits and lit.

It is understood another student poured more meths over the flames and they exploded, catching on to Jamie's uniform just before 10am.

Two other students suffered minor injuries but were not hospitalised.

Witnesses said Jamie ran out of the class and rolled on the ground outside trying to extinguish the flames.

Student Sarahlee Shanly said she was in maths class when she heard high-pitched screaming. The bell went soon after and students flocked outside to see what the commotion was about.

"He was rolling around, black smoke coming off him. Someone took off his shirt and I saw his skin coming off. People were hitting him with their tops trying to get the flames out."

A teacher than started spraying Jamie with a hose, Sarahlee said.

Waiuku firefighter Geoff McClay said that when the fire service arrived, teachers had put Jamie in the shower.

They got him out and doused him with a light saline solution, Mr McClay said. "He was in a bit of pain obviously but he was still talking."

Auckland's Westpac Rescue Helicopter, which landed in the school field, took the teenager to Middlemore.

Paramedic Russell Clarke said Jamie was naked, lying on a stretcher in a St John ambulance when they arrived and had received pain relief.

"He told me his friend had put too much kerosene on the boat and it ignited."

Relatives awaited the helicopter at the hospital, Mr Clarke said.

A hospital spokeswoman said some of the burns were quite deep but the patient was in a stable condition.

Acting principal Mark Nickless would not go into details about the incident but said it was a "workshop accident" and the other students thought to have been affected were "shocked more than anything".

He sent a statement home with students for their parents saying: "This morning at college three students were injured in an accident in the workshop.

"One required urgent medical attention and was taken to hospital by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. We wish the student a speedy recovery and will be providing the family with all the support they need."

Department of Labour spokesman Steve Jones said they were investigating but would not say how long it might take.