14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this week, firefighters in Easthampton, Massachusetts found themselves using water not to save a house from burning to the ground, but to free a kid whose tongue had gotten stuck to a frozen metal pole.
Media reports say that the incident occurred at White Brook Middle School on Wednesday, at about 8.00 a.m. At that time, local temperatures were well below freezing.
It is unclear how and why the kid came to the conclusion that attempting to lick a frozen metal pole would be a good idea. All things considered, it is likely that he did so on a dare. Huffington Post tells us that, almost immediately after the middle school student's tongue came into contact with the pole, it adhered to it.
Just like in the scene from the 1983 movie “A Christmas Story,” the kid failed to free himself on his own. Consequently, firefighters had to be called in.
The same source tell us that, in order to help the student, firefighters used hot water, which they poured both on the kid's tongue and on the metal pole.
Apparently, it took several buckets of water for the kid to be able to get his tongue off the pole and back into his mouth.
While firefighters were working on freeing him, teachers tried to hide the student from the glances of other students who were just then arriving at the White Brook Middle School for classes.
After the kid's tongue was parted from the frozen metal pole, doctors examined it, and concluded that the student had not suffered any serious injuries.
Once it was established that the kid was fine, he was allowed to return to classes.
Talking to the press, Easthampton Fire Chief David A. Mottor said that, in his 20-year career, he had only witnessed one similar case.
“I wouldn’t recommend putting your tongue on anything metal for the rest of the winter,” David A. Mottor wished to stress.