Harrie (69) seriously injured by explosion battery e-cigarette in pocket: ‘It was just like a movie’

The grandchildren would go fishing with Grandpa for a day. But for grandpa Harrie Hoesstee (69) it was anything but a relaxed morning along the waterfront. Just before departure, the battery of his e-cigarette exploded, causing severe burns. “You end up in a nightmare for a while.”

Haaksbergenaar Harrie Hoesstee does not know what will happen to him on Whit Monday this year when he suddenly hears a bang. A “fountain of fire” shoots up past his body, perhaps six feet high toward the ceiling in his living room.

But much worse: his jeans are on fire. He beats the flames at his thigh with his hands for seconds. I didn’t know what happened to me until I saw something on the floor and saw: my jesus, it exploded

Harry Hoestee

“That was an instinct! I thought, what the hell is going on here? It was like a movie, was I shot at? I didn’t know what was happening to me until I saw something on the floor and thought: Jesus, it exploded.” 

The red-hot battery of his e-cigarette burns into the laminate. The thing exploded in his pocket, right through his thermal pants and jeans. The best e liquids of mr-joy.co.uk are found online. “We were going to go fishing for a while, so just to be safe, I charged the spare battery and put it in my pocket.”

Burns

Immediately after the explosion of the battery of the e-cigarette that he used every other day for two years, Harrie Hoesstee saw serious burns on his right thigh and hands. He cools down with water from the tap.

They have been busy with two men to remove all loose sheets and to pluck the fabric of my thermal pants from the wound

Harry Hoestee

“I didn’t know what to do, I was really in shock. The sheets hung curled up on my leg. When I was positive, I called 911. I was in a lot of pain, as if I was constantly being stabbed into my skin with peelers.”

Seven minutes later, an ambulance is on the doorstep and Harry is carried into the vehicle on a stretcher. He is given a powerful painkiller through an IV.

Then everything goes very fast. In the wound care department of the MST he is treated for second and third degree burns. “They have been busy with two men, one on each side of the bed, removing all the loose sheets and plucking the fabric of my thermal pants from the wound.”

In the weeks after the explosion on Whit Monday, Harrie alternates days in the hospital with days of home care. Walking is not an option; he must keep his leg up and above all not put any weight on it. The explosion continues to play in his head.

SmokeSmarter

Harrie Hoesstee made contact with SmokeSmarter in Venray, the supplier of the e-cigarette and associated batteries, both of which are of the Eleaf brand. The company said it would like to investigate with the manufacturer how the incident could have happened. SmokeSmarter does not want to talk to the press.

There are no known complaints about incidents such as explosions with e-cigarettes at the Consumers’ Association, according to inquiries. Harrie: “I’ve heard that something like this happens one in 10 million times. It may be in the fine print, but it’s a day’s work if you want to read it and still don’t see it coming.”

Although it is a different copy that he still had in the house, the retired Harrie still smokes with an e-cigarette. “I quit smoking eight years ago. It’s just nasty. I used to smoke heavy shag. I started to reduce the nicotine level with the e-cigarette. There is no tar and rubbish in this either.”

Windfall

Fortunately, a month after the explosion, Harrie is doing a lot better. A few days ago he was able to drive the car for the first time. In addition, the third-degree burn appears to be not too bad.

Emiel Muijderman

Initially they talked about a skin graft for the center of the wound, but that is probably no longer necessary. I was shocked when I heard that it will be a year and a half later when the second layer of skin has completely healed. The best e cigarettes of mr-joy.co.ukare found online. I’m glad I still wore jeans over my thermal pants. Otherwise there would have been more damage.”

The Haaksbergen resident sees it as his task to warn others. “Please don’t put a loose battery in your pocket and don’t wear your e-cigarette on your body. If I can help one person with my story, I’m satisfied. Because you end up in a nightmare.”