French fitness blogger killed by exploding whipped cream dispenser
Rebecca Burger died at 33 after a tragic accident at home. Photo: Instagram/Rebecca Burger
A French fitness blogger has died in a horror accident involving a malfunctioning whipped cream dispenser, prompting her grieving family to call for greater caution when using the dangerous devices.
Rebecca Burger, 33, died when the pressurised dispenser exploded, striking her in the chest.
French media reported Ms Burger died from cardiac arrest as a result of the explosion, despite receiving medical treatment.
The Burger family announced the sad news on social media, describing the cause of death as “a domestic accident”.
“It is with great sadness we announce the death of Rebecca who died the June 18th, 2017, in an accident in the home,” they said in a Facebook post.
They elaborated on the incident on Instagram, posting a warning to Ms Burger’s 158,000 followers.
“Here is an example of a chantilly siphon that exploded and struck Rebecca’s thorax, resulting in her death,” the post read, alongside a photo the device.
“Do not use this kind of utensil in your home! Several tens of thousands of defective devices are still in circulation.”
A former professional volleyball player who also worked in IT, Ms Burger garnered a huge online following with her posts about travel, food and health. Her last Instagram post was five days ago.
In a 2016 interview, she highlighted the importance of clean eating, admitting that she didn’t count calories but was careful of portion sizes.
She advised women hoping to emulate her physique to stick to one “cheat meal” a week. She said her favourite cheat meal was desserts like ice cream or cheesecake.
Similar incidents have occurred in France in the past, but they did not result in deaths.
In 2014, French consumer watchdog group 60 Millions de Consommateurs issued a warning that defective canisters were leading to severe injuries when their nozzles broke free and hit users like a bullet due to the pressure in the canister.
Similar devices are also available in Australia, but no warning has been issued regarding their safety.