A boy in Kansas is counting his blessings after a scary near-death experience. Lorenzo Lopez was sleeping in his bed when his necklace became entangled in the cord of his phone charger. What happened next is nothing short of a freak accident. Suddenly, the 8-year-old found himself on fire as well as being electrocuted. It was only because of his quick thinking that he managed to save himself from death. Now, he and his mom are sharing the story to keep other people safe.
“It was just scary,” Lorenzo told local news outlet KWCH. “I almost thought I was going to die.”
On November 20, 2025, the little boy was sleeping in bed with a phone that was plugged into a nearby charger. The charger was plugged into an extension cord, and it was slightly unplugged.
“Lorenzo rolled over in his sleep and his necklace chain just happened to fall in between where the gap was on the extension cord and the charger, which is what shocked him,” the boy’s mom, Kourtney Pendleton, told the outlet.
While Lorenzo was being shocked, he was shaking and could feel the heat on his neck. He tried to scream, but because he was being shocked, no sound came out. “It was chaos, but I do remember some of it,” he said.
Eventually, the boy was able to get the necklace off his neck. With his shirt on fire, he was then able to run to get help.
According to Pendleton, someone at the hospital told her that if he hadn’t been able to get the necklace off, he would have been electrocuted to death. “So he basically saved his own life,” she said.
“I guess I saved myself, and I’m happy about that,” the boy added.
Pendleton praised her son for his bravery throughout the entire experience. Lorenzo has burns on his body, neck, and hands. He had to undergo skin graft surgery to help heal the burns.
When asked about why he chose to share his story, the boy’s reason was simple. “I just want to save some lives,” he said.
Pendleton started a GoFundMe to help with the unexpected costs of his hospitalization as he continues to heal.
She shared updates and gave more details about the boy’s treatment. According to the fundraiser, the skin for his grafts came from his scalp, legs, and feet. Naturally, he was in a lot of pain after the procedure on November 27.
“This is taking quite an emotional toll on him but he’s fighting hard like the tough, brave little boy he is — a true survivor,” Pendleton, a single mom, wrote. “We are so grateful to God for protecting him and keeping him here with us. This was a terrifying, freak accident that could have happened to anyone.”
In an update posted on December 1, Pendleton wrote that she was hoping they’d soon be able to take Lorenzo home from the hospital.
