DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. – A 6-year-old girl from Orange City is recovering after her family said she stepped on a sparkler while at the beach on Sunday.
"It feeled a little bit good when they took it out," said Payton Johnson.
Payton is now bandaged up after the family said the sparkler pierced through her toe.
"I see blood running down her leg and we see this metal object sticking out of her toe," said Jeanine Johnson, Payton's mother.
Johnson believed the sparkler was left over from July Fourth celebrations. The family took pictures of the sparkler that was lodged in Payton's foot.
"It almost went completely through and through the other side," said Johnson.
Lifeguards tried to help but Payton ended up at the hospital where several doctors removed the firework.
"They were surprised when they saw the X-rays as well about how far it was and that she was very lucky that it didn't do anything else because it went straight right underneath the bone," said Johnson.
Johnson also showed a one-inch piece of metal that doctors removed and now wanted to alert other families about what could be hiding on the beach.
"I just want people to understand that it could happen to anybody. if you're going to do something like that, just clean up your mess," she said.
"That's one of the reasons why fireworks are illegal because of possible injury to people," said Captain Tammy Marris, of Volusia County Beach Safety & Ocean Rescue.
Capt. Marris said a team of people collected trash from over the weekend but said it's difficult to control all that gets left behind. Nearly a dozen sparklers were found scattered in the sand just in one area alone.
"Stuff like that can happen after the trash people come. You know, people just don't sometimes pick up after themselves. We have trash cans and recycle cans all along the beach," said Capt. Marris.
Johnson said her daughter is still a bit sore but is expected to be okay. The family said they'll just be more cautious the next time they're at the beach.
"You don't want it to happen to you, so don't leave it for somebody else to happen to them," she said.