Five people were hospitalized and dozens required medical treatment after motivational speaker Tony Robbins encouraged his event attendees to walk across hot coals.
Dallas fire rescuers were with met people who had burns on their feet and lower legs after responding to the incident on Thursday.
According to the Dallas Morning News, approximately 30 to 40 people were treated on-site for burns, while five chose to seek medical attention at a nearby hospital.
A statement released by Robbins’ organization Robbins Research International offered up a differing series of events. “In Dallas tonight, someone not familiar with the fire walk observed the event and called 911 erroneously reporting hundreds of people requiring medical attention for severe burns,” it read. “While we are grateful to the quick and robust response from Dallas emergency services, only 5 of 7,000 participants requested any examination beyond what was readily available on site.”
The firewalk was part of a three-day event, called “Unleash the Power Within.” The heated event called on participants to “imagine that fear was no longer a factor in your life.”
“Overcome the unconscious fears that are holding you back,” the event’s description continued. “Storm across a bed of hot coals. Once you start doing what you thought was impossible, you’ll conquer the other fires of your life with ease.”
