Teen Loses Part Of His Bowel After Grill Brush Bristle Hidden In Burger Punctures Intestine

Noah Walden is warning families about metal grill brushes after a tiny bristle hidden in his burger led to emergency surgery and a six-inch incision in his bowel.

The Minnesota teen ended up in the hospital after a family barbecue on Memorial Day. After what happened, he has told people to 'do a lot of chewing when you're grilling'.

At first, the cookout seemed normal. But days later, Walden developed severe stomach pain, and his parents rushed him to the hospital in the middle of the night.

Speaking about the night during an interview with WCCO, Walden said: "I had two burgers, and my guess is one of them had the grill bristle in it, and I swallowed it."

"But when I got up, I couldn't lay back down. It was just so much pain."

Walden said he could not taste the bristle or feel it while he was eating. By the time doctors found the problem, it had caused enough damage that he lost part of his bowel during emergency surgery.

Why grill brush bristles can be hard to spot

The scary part of Walden's case is how small the danger was. A loose wire bristle can stick to a grill grate, cling to food, and end up inside a bite without anyone noticing.

That makes this less like a normal choking risk and more like a hidden injury risk. A person may swallow the wire without tasting it, feeling it, or seeing it on the food.

It is a different kind of food safety warning than spoiled meals or bad storage, but the lesson is similar: small details around food prep can lead to serious medical problems.

The warning comes during a year when more than 13 million metal grill brushes have been recalled after consumers reported swallowing bristles and needing medical treatment.

A CT scan later showed the bristle lodged in Walden's bowel. Doctors said it had punctured his intestine, which explained the intense pain he had been feeling.

Walden spent four days in the hospital before surgery became the only option.

A wire from the barbecue brush punctured the teen's bowel. Getty Stock Images

The recall behind the warning

The issue is not limited to one backyard barbecue. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a Nexgrill recall on March 26, 2026, covering about 10.2 million metal wire bristle grill brushes sold at Home Depot.

The recall said the bristles can detach, stick to a grill or food, and create an ingestion hazard that may lead to serious internal injuries requiring surgery.

The affected Nexgrill brushes were sold between 2015 and 2026, and customers were told to stop using them and contact the company for a refund.

After the frightening incident, Walden's mom, Amie Walden, gave a direct warning to anyone planning to barbecue this summer.

"Get rid of your metal grill bristle brushes," she said.

Amie said doctors had to remove part of her son's bowel. They also had to make a six-inch incision in his abdomen, turning what began as a burger at a family cookout into a serious medical emergency.

The young boy has opened up about the shocking incident. CBS News Minnesota

Speaking about the surgery and the end of the long pain he had been dealing with, Walden added: "I'm just kind of glad that, you know, I could get it over with and eventually be done with this ongoing pain."

Grill manufacturer Nexgrill has also addressed the risk after the accident, saying in a statement: "Small metal wire bristles can detach from the brushes and stick to the grill or food, posing an ingestion hazard or risk of serious internal injuries that could require surgery."

They added: "There have been a limited number of reported injury incidents associated with these grill brushes. "

"Out of an abundance of caution, we made the proactive decision to voluntarily recall these brushes."

"Nexgrill strongly urges customers to stop using the affected brush models immediately and to participate in our voluntary recall."

For families still grilling through the summer, the warning is simple: check the brush, check the grill, and do not assume a tiny wire bristle will be easy to see before it reaches the plate.