14-year-old loses leg chunk after necrotising infection

A 14-year-old boy nearly lost his leg and his life after a seemingly innocent swim in a Cheshire lake led to a devastating infection. Jacob Butler, from Cheshire, suffered a severe leg injury on the evening of Thursday, April 30, when he jumped into a lake known as the Blue Lagoon in Colliers Moss Park, near Burtonwood. His right leg caught on a submerged piece of wire, slicing it down to the bone just below his knee.

The initial trauma was only the beginning. The deep gash later became infected with necrotising fasciitis, a rare and life-threatening bacterial infection often called the "flesh-eating disease." Jacob's mother, Rebecca Butler, 33, is now sharing his story to warn others of the hidden dangers in open water.

After the accident, Jacob called his father, Ashley Butler, 37, to say he had been hurt. Before paramedics arrived and airlifted him to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, a nearby fisherman provided critical first aid by wrapping Jacob's leg in a T-shirt to stem the bleeding. His mother said this quick action likely saved her son's life and his leg from immediate amputation.

Jacob underwent emergency surgery the following morning to clean the wound and received...