"She was in agony"
A young girl has been left traumatised after stepping on burning rubbish on an Irish beach.
The toddler was walking with her parents on a beach in Donegal when the incident happened.
Shortly after arriving at the beach, the family noticed the remainder of a fire on the sand. It was also surrounded by rubbish, smashed glass, and metal.
The parents did their best to clean up the mess and also cordoned it off, but their daughter didn't understand the danger.
Her parents have spoken out about the incident in a bid to raise awareness. They have urged beach-goers to be cautious and to dispose of rubbish carefully.
The young girl's mum Caoimhe said Sandport beach in Donegal used to be her daughter's happy place.
The mum opened up about the incident on the
Malin Head Community Facebook page.
She explained that their little girl is non-verbal and is also being assessed for autism.
“The litter that was left on the fire site caught her eye and she wandered over when no one was looking.
"We warned the children not to go near it, but my little girl is nonverbal and can’t follow instructions."
"Her little feet blistered instantly in the embers. The sand was still white hot. She was in agony,” her mam shared.
“My girl was traumatised and screamed for hours."
"Her little feet blistered instantly in the embers. The sand was still white hot. She was in agony."
"It was the most distressed she has ever been in her life, she lost her voice from screaming and the whole experience was just heart-breaking."
The mam said she barely got any sleep because she was so upset over the ordeal.
"Her feet are blistered and sore and she’s very quiet, not at all her usual happy self."
"My anger has settled a bit since last night, but I still can’t help but be disgusted that this dangerous mess was left lying on a beautiful beach for a child to wander into.
"I wish those responsible for it could see the pain that they caused my little girl. She’s 2 and a half, she’s just a baby and should be able to play in the sand safely."
The girl's mother has urged the public to leave no trace when visiting the beach.
