A 16-year-old teen in North Carolina is "unrecognizable" after participating in an alleged TikTok challenge that left burns on the majority of his body.
Mason Dark, 16, was using a lighter and a can of spray paint to create a torch last month when his mother, Holli Dark, heard a "big boom," per WRAL. The mother said her son ran out and jumped into a nearby river to alleviate his burns.
Mason was taken to the UNC Burn Center where he was treated for second and third-degree burns on over 75 percent of his body. He remains
"unrecognizable," his mom said, and is expected to remain at the Burn Center for the next six months while recovering from his injuries.
The family started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money in the wake of the incident.
"Mason has a long road ahead of him," Holli Dark said on the GoFundMe page. "Please pray for his recovery."
The mother believes a TikTok challenge led her son to participate in the dangerous experiment.
"It is challenges on TikTok," Holli Dark said. "I guess kids have been doing this a long time."
"[Kids are] constantly doing the different things," she added. "It's like these kids just try anything these people do, they see it and they want to imitate it. They want to see how they can do it and what will happen."
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