12:05 PM ET 1 APRIL 2009
Mother & Son Escape Serious Harm in Prank Gone Wrong
By HELENE KOOPER
GRENOUILLE — A mother and her son are spending the night in the l'Hôpital du Sacré-Nez after a scary morning in their hotel, when a supposed April Fool's joke took a dangerous turn, but both are expected to make a complete recovery.
Tim Nard, a New York City leather-worker and his mother, Elisabeth Webler, part of a Sit&Knit tour of the Alps, were staying overnight at the famed Auberge Grenouille when the electrical adapter on Webler's hair dryer overheated, filling the third floor with acrid smoke. The antiquated fire-detection equipment had been disabled, and precious minutes ticked by before anyone took action.
"I thought it was a joke," remarked Nard. "She's a real kidder." He had been the target of his mother's jokes for the last 15 years, and he was fully expecting some sort of prank on this trip as April 1st neared. He had smelled the smoke, but was "waiting for the other shoe to drop."
Webler, bandages covering her head and torso, was still smoldering. "He's such an idiot," she remarked, her voice straining from the smoke damage. "This was a fire. Smoke. Flames. What was he thinking?"
Nard recounted a list of pranks, including a suggestive doll in his college locker room, a letter of induction from his local draft board, "forbidden" chocolates laced with laxatives, and a romantic rendezvous proffered by a mysterious online model.
"The 'romantic rendezvous' thing had nothing to do with me," Webner barked. Nard nervously picked at the dressing around his leg, noting, "I was lucky to escape with my wallet that night."
"His picture is right next to 'gullible' in the dictionary," Webler said. "Frankly, I am concerned about him living alone."
"They were very lucky," said Dr. Pantalon of the hospital's surprisingly large Burn Ward. "The danger of the American hair dryer is well-document[ed], and all tourist should [be] aware." Many nearby patients mumbled assent.
The two will rejoin their tour in 4-6 days, once the bandages come off. Dr. Pantalon expects the skin damage to be minimal, and predicts that 90-95 percent of their hair will grow back.
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