Orkney dad praises Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance after vape battery explodes in pocket

A dad from Orkney who was permanently scarred after a spare vape battery exploded while in his pocket has praised Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) for their care.

Gavin Sutherland was working at a jewellery shop on the island when the loose lithium battery, which he had charged and kept spare for his vape, exploded in his front pocket.

The 40-year-old said: “I was just getting on with my work when I heard a hiss and felt something in my left jeans pocket.

“I knew immediately it was something to do with the battery, but things happened so fast.

“There was a blast and a lot of heat, smoke and noise. I was running around in a panic, swearing but didn’t know whether to use water or an extinguisher on it. I ran to the door and the battery rolled to the ground, having burned through my pocket. I put some cold water on my thigh, but then the pain set in.

“The denim and the fabric of my boxer shorts had melted onto the wound, so I used a sharp knife to trim away the material and get a look at the wound,” he added. “It was pretty sore and obviously needed medical attention.”

Warning: Report contains sensitive images

Workmates at the shop helped Mr Sutherland place a burns gel pack on his leg and drove him to the Balfour Hospital in Kirkwall.

He described being in “extreme pain” while in the hospital’s accident and emergency department and endured painful showers to try and rinse out the wound and pick pieces of melted fabric away.

Hourly rinsing and cleaning revealed a finger-length wound, one and a half inches wide, plus searing across a large area where the pocket had been.

When doctors were able to get a clear look at the burn, they deemed it serious enough to send Mr Sutherland to a specialist burns and plastics unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Mr Sutherland was taken by air ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for his burns SCAA

SCAA was called in to transport him on an hour-long flight to the mainland.

Medics managed his pain by giving him morphine, which meant he slept for much of the journey.

Speaking about the care he received, Mr Sutherland said: “It was a really emotional, overwhelming and painful experience and SCAA helped me relax.

“I can’t imagine what getting to the mainland would have been like with any other form of transport.

“I was in professional paramedic hands all the way and they were so generous with their care and attention. They even shared their sweeties.”

At Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Mr Sutherland underwent painstaking skin grafting to help heal his wound.

Fortunately, there was no muscle damage so he’s confident of a full recovery, but has been left with permanent scarring from the incident.

“I know of SCAA and the life-saving work they do, especially for island and remote communities like mine,” he said.

“They may not have played a life-saving role in my case but their support meant the world to me and I know it made a huge difference to my well-being during a worrying stage in my life.

“I can’t thank them enough for being there for me. You can’t really appreciate the amazing work they do until you or your loved ones are personally involved.

“We’re so lucky to have a charity like SCAA in Scotland. It’s reassuring for everyone to know that if the situation is critical or life-threatening, SCAA could be there to save your bacon.”

SCAA’s involvement in his Dad’s care following the freak accident in February prompted Gavin’s nine-year-old son Caleb and his friend to stage a 20-mile sponsored cycle, raising nearly £7,000 in support of the air ambulance charity.