An 11-year-old boy was injured in a freak accident on a trampoline after one of its springs broke off and struck him on the back - leaving him bleeding and in agony.
The boy's father, Dave O'Leary, has now issued a warning to other parents following the accident at their Lowestoft home.
Mr O'Leary was outside with his two young sons while his son Cam, 11, was playing on their garden trampoline.
The trampoline's spring came loose, with the pressure launching it into the air and striking Cam on the back causing a large amount of blood from the injury.
Mr O'Leary said: "At 5pm Cam yelped and I looked over to see him holding his back and glaring at his brother Axl - as Cam had assumed that his younger brother had accidentally hit him with the tennis racket he was playing with."
READ MORE: Man arrested after holding onto bridge as it opened to allow boat to pass through
"It was then that I saw blood coming through his t-shirt. Upon lifting his shirt it was clear he had been struck by something. It only then became apparent the spring had snapped and fired at him."
Blood can be seen covering the entirety of Cam's white shirt that was worn during the incident. The family purchased the 10-foot Sportspower trampoline on May 28 in 2018 - making it less than five-years-old.
READ MORE: Boy, 10, chokes on 'fish-shaped object' in McDonald's McMuffin
Upon further inspection, Mr O'Leary concluded that the trampoline's spring had developed a fracture and repeated pressure caused it to come loose, embedding itself in his son's skin.
READ MORE: 13-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of threatening girl with knife
He said: "Once the spring broke loose it must have rotated in the air 180 degrees as the razor-sharp fractured end is clearly what hit him.
"To prevent this from ever happening again I will inspect every spring regularly and replace any worn springs.
"I would encourage everyone to do the same as I would hate to read of another child being harmed in this way."
Sportspower has been contacted for comment.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here