Iowa Man Claims Fitness Tracker Burned His Wrist, Fitbit Company Disagrees
By Staff Reporter
Google bought Fitbit last week for a whopping $2.1 billion. Over the last four years alone, more than 70 million Fitbits have been sold worldwide. However, just recently, an Iowa man says his Fitbit Ionic watch began to 'burn up' in the middle of the night and left him with third-degree burns on his wrist.
Last week, Ethan Landers took to Facebook disturbing pictures of wounds on his arm, saying that he wants to warn others about the potential danger of wearing the famous fitness equipment.
Beneath pictures of his wrist injuries, Landers recalled the event he described as 'traumatic', and claimed that he was asleep on Wednesday night when he woke up to his wrist burning and he immediately panicked.
"I quickly realized my Fitbit was burning up so I tried frantically to get it off. With a few failed attempts, I jumped out of bed and turned the light on where my wife was able to unlatch the band on my Fitbit," he said.
The young father went on to tell that it felt like the wearable device melted through his arm and a smoke from the Fitbit battery came out.
Landers told his Facebook friends that he and his wife rushed to the ER with his wrist becoming white and blistering. The medics cleaned up the wound and took x-rays to make sure there was no remaining debris inside. He later went to a wound clinic and they had determined that the burn was on third-degree. They advised Landers that he needs a skin graft.
He added that some parts of his wrist are numb due to nerve damage. "So, if you own a Fitbit, please reconsider using it," he stressed.
In a press release, Fitbit expressed: "We are extremely concerned about Mr. Landers' complaint regarding his Ionic watch, as the health and safety of our customers is our top priority." The company said they are going to conduct a full investigation on the matter.
Fitbit also mentioned that their 'products are designed and produced in accordance with strict standards and undergo extensive internal and external testing to ensure the safety.' The company does not believe that this type of accident could occur with normal use based on independent third-party testing.
Fitbit wanted to get Landers' watch to check it, but he didn't agree to turn it over yet. The company further said that their customers can continue to enjoy Fitbit products with confidence and that there is no reason for people to stop wearing their Ionic watch or other devices on the market.
The company's new ownership prompted the Fitbit stocks to soar by 17%. Fitbit CEO James Park said in a statement that 'Google is an ideal partner' to advance the company's mission and goals. He added that with Google's resources and global influence, Fitbit will be able to create innovation in wearable technology.
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