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Mum tells how her 16-year-old son almost died when his religious cross necklace electrocuted him “like a hot coil” in a horrific accident, leaving his neck with burn marks

  • Rayce Ogdahl suffered second, third and fourth degree burns
  • After ripping off the chain, it left a burning three-inch hole in Rayce’s mattress
  • The cross chain had come into contact with an exposed connector pin



A distraught mother has told how her teenage son almost died after his religious cross necklace electrocuted him “like a hot coil” in a horrific accident that left the jewelry burning into his flesh.

Danielle Davis, 38, was awakened the night of April 30 by a piercing scream from her son Rayce Ogdahl’s room.

The mother-of-six went searching, but then she was met with the horrific sight of her 16-year-old son, who was covered in “burns” on his neck.

Rayce told his mother that he had been electrocuted by his own necklace after the cross necklace came into contact with an exposed pin on a plug.

Shocking photos show Rayce’s neck and collarbone charred black and the imprint of his chain burned into his red, rough skin.

Rayce Ogdahl, 16, nearly died when his religious cross necklace electrocuted him in a freak accident
The necklace was burned into his skin the night of April 30 after the cross “touched the prongs of the plug in an extension cord, which were just barely exposed,” according to his mother
The necklace was burned into his skin the night of April 30 after the cross “touched the prongs of the plug in an extension cord, which were just barely exposed,” according to his mother
Rayce ripped the chain from his neck and dropped it on his bed, leaving a burning three-inch hole in his mattress

After ripping the chain from his neck, the cross and necklace left a burning, three-inch hole in Rayce’s mattress.

The teenager was taken to the burn unit at Integris Health Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit for treatment of his injuries.

Danielle, who lives in Yukon, Oklahoma, is glad she didn’t lose her son that night – and urges others to remain vigilant about electrical cords, wires and plugs.

The mother said: “It was a normal night and we had only been asleep for about an hour when we half heard a noise and then heard screaming coming from Rayce’s room. “We thought maybe he was playing a video game and was frustrated.

“Then I heard him call ‘Mom’ and my son was standing in the hallway.” He said, “I got electrocuted.” It was my necklace. There were burn marks around his neck.

“And the smell was terrible. The whole house smelled of burnt hair and hides and electrical fires. “We called 911 and called an ambulance.”

Danielle said her son explained that he was laying in bed before turning over to get comfortable when he heard something fall off the bed.

He wanted to make sure his phone was still charged so his alarm would go off for school the next day, but as he leaned over the side, nothing could prepare him for the horrific accident that was about to unfold.

“He said he was leaning out of bed and the cross chain around his neck came into contact with the prongs of the plug in an extension cord, which were just visible,” Danielle continued.

“He said he was fully conscious the entire time and knew he had been electrocuted. Since it was all metal, it formed a complete circle around his neck. It was like a hot coil.

“And he has burns on his hands from trying to break the chain around his neck. It was a thick, heavy chain.”

The teenager suffered second, third and fourth degree burns and will now be scarred for life
The teenager suffered second, third and fourth degree burns and will now be scarred for life
Rayce was rushed to hospital after the incident, where doctors told the family he had “endured enough amps to kill him”.
Mother Danielle Davis, 38, pictured with Rayce Ogdahl, 16, before the horrific accident

“The crazy thing was that during the electrocution part of his chain was welded to the charger.” And the cross pendant on the chain melted through the sheets of his bed seven centimeters deep into the mattress.

“He said it all happened within seconds and he could clearly see sparks coming from his neck. “He told me his whole body hurt and he thought he was dying.”

Rayce was rushed to hospital after the incident, where doctors told the family he had endured “enough amps to kill him” – and monitored the function of his heart over the next few days.

The teenager suffered second, third and fourth degree burns and will be left with lifelong scars from the horrific accident.

Danielle, a housewife, said: “You can see the pattern of the necklace on his neck.” It left a clear mark.

“He has a lot of scars.” They talk about a skin graft, but Rayce doesn’t want it unless it’s medically necessary.

“Almost his entire neck is covered in scars.” It extends from his chin to his collarbone. The incident has definitely made Rayce a lot more confident. It was very eye-opening.

“We’re just so grateful that he’s okay.” He could have easily died that night. It was amazing that he was still conscious and could still alert us. It would have been a different story.

“When it comes to your phone, there is no text message or notification important enough to have your phone on your bed.” Anything can happen and Rayce is proof of that.

“Take care of your cords and I would recommend everyone not to use extension cords at all.”