A fatal pleasure

This is one of those things that sound like a bad joke, but it happens to be true, and sad, and it didn't have to be.

A woman named Rebecca Burger, a fitness blogger from France who regularly posted on Instagram and YouTube, was killed by a home whipped cream dispenser.

I've seen these devices; I'm sure you have too. There's a nozzle and a holder for the pressured container of nitrous oxide that causes cream to emerge whipped, ready for topping desserts.  A pin inside the mechanism pierces the gas canister, and in this case, the damned thing exploded, causing the nozzle to fly off and strike Ms Burger in the chest.  She went into cardiac arrest when the accident happened in her home in Galfingue, France. Responding paramedics were able to restore her heartbeat, but she was unconscious upon arrival at a hospital, and never regained consciousness, dying the next day at 33.

Her family is now warning one and all against using these devices:

Here’s an example of the cartridge/siphon from Chantilly that exploded and struck Rebecca’s chest, killing her. Take note: the cartridge that caused her death was sealed. Do not use this type of device in your home! Tens of thousands of these appliances are still in circulation.

Ms Burger

Now comes information from a French magazine that two other people were seriously injured by these contraptions, leading the French economic ministry to warn against - but not ban - these "cream siphons." Further, reports are that the make and model of the dispenser Ms Burger was using had been recalled by its manufacturer.

In England, the BBC says that in 2013, another victim of an exploding cream siphon told a radio station that they "had six broken ribs, and my sternum was broken. At the hospital, I was told that if the shock and blast had been facing the heart, I would be dead now."

Whipped cream is, well, the whipped topping on the sweet dessert of life, and to think that a machine that produces it is lethal makes for a lot of head shaking. If you have one of these things, please consider donating it to the landfill, and switching to Reddi Wip.