A 17-year-old is in the hospital with second and third-degree burns after a boat he was working on at a property in Buckingham went up in flames.
Jason Skelton got the devastating call that his 17-year-old son, Jay, was on fire.
"He was screaming for me, 'Dad! Come with me. Come with me. I'm in pain!'" Skelton said. I mean, you're in shock. You hear your kid in the background screaming."
Jay was taken straight to the hospital, where they tried stabilizing him for about an hour, before taking him to Blake Medical Center Burn Unit in Tampa.
"He was on a ventilator at the time," Skelton said. "He couldn't talk. The burns were from his neck up. He was totally burnt. His hair, his scalp. His arms were totally burnt. His legs, the groin area."
Jay is not only suffering physically but also mentally.
"He's waking up in the middle of the night with PTSD," Skelton said. "Still thinking there's flashing. He still thinks he's in that situation."
On top of all of this, Jay is raising a 2-year-old son. Jason also lost the roof of his home to Hurricane Milton. It's been one thing after another for the father and son.
"They said he's going to need another surgery after this," he said. "There's no telling. His body heals a little faster than the older person, but it's a long road."
Jason said he's just taking everything one day at a time. They're relying on each other for strength during this difficult time.
"That's my backbone," Skelton said. "He's my son, and I'm a single father."
Tice Fire said the fire was determined accidental.