Girl burned by coals left on beach at state park

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — A visit to a Washington state park sent a little girl to the hospital with burns.

The child's burns were so bad the parents told KIRO 7 they had to seek treatment at Harborview Medical Center.

The couple says their 2 and a half year-old daughter suffered second-degree burns after she stepped on hot coals that appeared to be covered with sand on the beach at Dash Point State Park in Federal Way.

“She just kind of shuffled her feet and kind of swooped back and started screaming,” said Chris Yoho.

After a fun day at the beach Saturday, Ophelia Yoho and her parents spent the next few days in hospitals thanks to second-degree burns on her feet that forced doctors to remove her skin.

“Just to watch and have to hold her when they were cutting the skin off her feet, I just feel so bad and helpless,” said Ophelia’s mother, Lindsay Yoho.

Ophelia clung to her mother as her parents shared their story at their home near Buckley.

The Yohos say someone left hot charcoal on the beach. Not only did it violate park rules, but it also could have also caused a fire.

The picturesque spot was where their little girl’s toes touched the burning coals.

“Put your coals out before you drop them someplace. You’re dumping them in a walking area people have been playing in all day,” said Chris Yoho.

Ophelia's doctors are encouraging her parents to keep her playing, moving and running.

“We have to do stretches and lotions and ointments for the next year to a year-and-a-half,” said Lindsay Yoho. “I was really surprised. I thought (it would heal in) a couple of weeks.”

Dash Point State Park has signs clearly marked for fire restrictions. KIRO 7 looked up every state park online, and burn rules are completely spelled out.

The Yohos say the risk to children and the risk of fire is too great, so they're speaking out.

“No other babies need to get hurt. It was a wonderful day. I wanted to post on Facebook all the 50 shots of all the happy stuff but that was how it ended,” said Lindsay Yoho.

Cox Media Group