WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT: Jacob’s sustained burns to 32 per cent of his body, suffering catastrophic third-degree burns to his face, torso, arms, back, and legs
The family of a teenage boy who was allegedly doused in petrol and set alight have revealed the gruesome extent of his injuries.
At around 6pm local time on Monday 13 October, Jacob Thompson, 19, was walking on Cowper Street, Coonabarabran, when he was approached by a man and two women. Police were told a member of the group allegedly poured a liquid onto Jacob before he caught alight. Passers-by extinguished the fire and Jacob before he was taken to hospital for treatment.
Jacob’s family have now revealed he sustained burns to 32 per cent of his body, suffering catastrophic third-degree burns to his face, torso, arms, back, and legs. Due to the severity of his injuries and the damage to his airways, Jacob was flown to Sydney and placed into an induced coma on life support, the family said in a statement.
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Jacob remains in intensive care at Concord Hospital, in Sydney’s inner west, where his family have been by his side.
“This deeply traumatic incident was witnessed by his immediate family and partner, leaving physical and emotional scars that will take a lifetime to heal,” the family said.
Police confirmed in a statement “a 45-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man, and a 17-year-old girl were arrested at a nearby property. They were all taken to Coonabarabran Police Station where the man was charged with cause grievous bodily harm to person with intent, and affray; the older woman was also charged with affray. They were refused bail.”
The spokesperson added: “The teenage girl was released pending further investigation.”
A GoFundMe has been started to help the family as they relocate and Mr Thompson recovers from his injuries. A message on the page read: “The family would be grateful if you could support by donating, no matter how big or small, every cent will make a difference towards helping Jacob and his family rebuild their lives.”
You can donate to the GoFundMe page by clicking here.