MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee resident, Dina Mitchell, suffered second-degree burns Tuesday after she said her fitness tracker exploded while she was wearing it when reading a book.
According to Mitchell, she received the device as a birthday gift. She said it malfunctioned after wearing it for two weeks.
"The Fitbit itself is totally melted," Mitchell said.
"The bracelet melted, and I got pieces of plastic burned into my arm," she continued.
According to Mitchell, the pieces of plastic she referenced had to be picked out of her wound by a doctor. Mitchell said there was no indication anything was wrong with the device prior to the explosion, and Aurora Health Care's urgent care facility in Waukesha confirms Mitchell visited the center Wednesday, the day after she said she sustained the injury.
"This a product so many people use," Mitchell said.
"My nephew, their whole class gets these from their teachers, and they wear them," she continued.
The device, however, does come with a warning. The Fitbit website cautions consumers stating:
"The device contains electrical equipment that could cause injury if not handled properly." Mitchell said she was very careful when wearing the device, but that did not prevent something from going wrong.
"If they are exploding or if there's some type of malfunction with them... I mean, I'm going to have a scar from this probably, can you imagine what it would do to a child?" Mitchell questioned.
In a statement sent to the TODAY'S TMJ4 Newsroom, Fitbit said:
We are extremely alarmed about Ms. Mitchell's complaint regarding her Flex2 and we are investigating the issue. We are not aware of any other complaints of this nature. In fact, based on our extensive internal and independent safety testing, we do not believe it is possible for this to occur under normal use. The quality of our products and the health and safety of our customers are our top priorities. Fitbit products are designed and produced in accordance with strict standards to ensure the safety of our users.
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