12-Year-Old Soccer Player Suffers Severe Burns After Park Prank Goes Horribly Wrong

A 12-year-old soccer player is recovering from severe burns after a prank at his neighborhood park ended in a terrifying explosion. What started as a normal afternoon with friends quickly became a life-changing moment.

Lucas Baldock, a passionate futsal player from Mudgeeraba on the outskirts of Australia’s Gold Coast, was badly injured last Friday (September 26) when a deodorant can was set alight and suddenly exploded, leaving him covered in burns.

Family friend Carriae Sempf has launched a GoFundMe page to help Lucas and his family through his long recovery. In the campaign, she shared heartbreaking details of what happened to the young athlete and the extent of his injuries.

"A child at Lucas' local park lit a deodorant can and called Lucas over," she wrote.

"Lucas walked over unaware of what was going on. Another child threw something at the deodorant can. It exploded. Lucas is covered head to toe in burns."

"Lucas telephoned his mum Sandy from the park screaming that he was on fire. My heart is breaking for Lucas and Sandy. What a frightening and traumatic experience for them both."

Lucas Baldock was called over to a group of boys at the local park who lit a deodorant can on fire GoFundMe

Because of the accident, Lucas was forced to withdraw from playing for Queensland in a national futsal tournament he had been eagerly preparing for. The timing of the tragedy made it even harder for him and his family to accept.

A photo shared on the fundraising page shows Lucas in a hospital bed, with one side of his face visibly burned and his arm and leg tightly wrapped in bandages. The image captures just how serious his injuries are and how strong he’s had to be through it all.

"What was meant to be 4 fabulous days on the futsal court has turned into multiple hospital visits and likely surgery required for Lucas. As you can imagine, Lucas is in considerable pain," Sempf continued, expressing how difficult and painful the experience has been for both Lucas and his mother, Sandy.

She finished her post with an emotional message: "Lucas. A beautiful child. An innocent victim to a mindless act."

In a more hopeful update shared the following day, Sempf posted a new photo of Lucas smiling next to one of his teammates. Despite his facial injuries and ongoing treatment, his resilience shone through.

"So lovely to see Lucas smile again!" Sempf wrote gratefully. "A huge heart-felt thanks to everyone who has supported Lucas! What an incredible community we have."

Lucas pictured smiling with his futsal teammate just a matter of weeks after the incident took place GoFundMe

Queensland Police later confirmed that the explosion was ruled accidental after the Gold Coast Child Protection and Investigation Unit completed its review of the case.

"All parents were spoken to and did not wish to make a formal complaint. There is no ongoing police involvement," a police spokesperson told the Daily Mail.

As of this week, the GoFundMe campaign has raised nearly $6,000 to help pay for Lucas’s medical treatment and provide support as his recovery continues.

"If you can spare a few dollars to help this beautiful family with their medical costs please do," Sempf added, thanking everyone who had donated so far and encouraging others to contribute if they could.