8-Year-Old Boy Badly Electrocuted After Necklace Gets Stuck in Bedside Socket

An 8-year-old Kansas boy is recovering from terrifying electrical burns after his chain necklace accidentally became lodged between his bedside phone charger and an extension cord, sending a powerful electric shock through his body.

The freak accident happened on November 20, and doctors say young Lorenzo Lopez survived only because he had the presence of mind to rip the necklace off while it was still electrifying him.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Lorenzo told KWCH he truly believed he was about to die. He described the moment of the shock as pure chaos.

His mom, Kourtney Pendleton, said the night began like any other. She tucked Lorenzo into bed, and at some point while he slept, he rolled over. That’s when his chain slipped perfectly into the small gap between the extension cord and the charger.

The metal instantly became electrified, sending sparks flying and setting Lorenzo’s shirt on fire.

Lorenzo says the shock was followed by intense heat along his neck. He leapt out of bed, shirt still burning, and managed to yank the necklace off—an action doctors later told him saved his life.

After rushing her son to the hospital, Pendleton says she was stunned when doctors explained how close they came to losing him. One staff member told Lorenzo directly that if he hadn’t pulled the chain off, the electrocution would have been fatal.

Pendleton shared heartbreaking photos of her son’s injuries online, showing severe burns across his torso and a deep burn mark around his neck where the chain had heated and scorched his skin. She wrote that he is in excruciating pain and that no child should ever experience what he’s going through.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help cover medical costs. Doctors expect Lorenzo to remain hospitalized for at least two weeks and have already performed a skin graft surgery using skin from his scalp, legs, and feet. Pendleton says the ordeal has taken an emotional toll, but Lorenzo is fighting through every moment like the tough, resilient kid he is.

She ended her message with a warning every parent should hear: this was a terrifying, random accident that could happen to anyone. Her plea is simple—do not let children sleep with electronics or charging cords in their beds.

In a November 28 update, Pendleton said Lorenzo’s surgery was successful, though he is still in significant pain. Despite everything, he’s staying strong and inspiring everyone around him.

Lorenzo hopes sharing his story will keep other kids safe.

I just want to save some lives, he said.