Baby screaming in hospital after fire extinguisher attack

A mother had to leave the hospital room as her daughter was being treated after two people riding e-scooters pulled up alongside a car and discharged a fire extinguisher, injuring the baby.

A Sunshine Coast mum has described her baby screaming in hospital after she was hit by white powder and gas from a fire extinguisher during a seemingly random roadside attack.

Tiffani Teasdale’s five-month-old daughter, Pixie, was in the back seat of their car – driven by Ms Teasdale’s partner – as it waited at traffic lights on High Street in Sippy Downs at about 7.45pm on Sunday evening.

Two people on e-bikes pulled up next to the car before spraying a fire extinguisher inside the vehicle through an open window and fleeing the scene, injuring her 29-year-old partner and the baby.

“The car just filled up with gas and white powder straight away,” Ms Teasdale told the ABC.

“[Pixie] was completely covered in white powder and just looked like she was in shock, she wasn’t even crying,” she said.

“We were in hospital until very early morning and they had to put 100 millilitres of saline solution into her eyes.”

“I’ve never heard her scream like that before, I actually had to leave the room.

Sunshine Coast baby Pixie was taken to hospital after being sprayed by a fire extinguisher in her car seat.

“The doctors had to hold her down for me because it was the most horrible thing I’ve ever heard … no one should have to go through that.”

Pixie was discharged on Monday morning, with Ms Teasdale instructed to monitor her condition.

“She’s quite red in the face, her eyes are still a bit swollen.”

“She’s a little bit wheezy but I think she should be fine.”

Ms Teasdale described the attack as horrific.

Pixie was taken to hospital after being sprayed by a fire extinguisher in her car seat from two people on an e-bike. Photo: Supplied

“I’m all for teenagers going out and having fun, but not at the expense of other people’s lives,” she said.

“I want to see the police really take action about this.”

The fire extinguisher blanketed the car in a thick film, destroying Pixie’s pram, toys and nappy bag.

Ms Teasdale uploaded a social media post about the incident, begging people to “do better”.

“I hope who ever has done this sees this posts and realises there will be consequences for your actions,” she wrote.

“A five second dopamine rush is not worth someone’s life. I could only imagine if this had been someone with respiratory issues.”

After seeing Ms Teasdale’s post, a local detailing business offered to clean the family’s car for free.

The fire extinguisher used in the attack was found by police on nearby Stringybark Rd shortly after the incident was reported.

Detectives believe it was stolen from a nearby business.

While Sunshine Coast Police Detective Sergeant Kiriana Hamlin described the attack as “reckless and concerning”, she said police had not found any evidence to suggest the young family was targeted.

Additionally, she said police hadn’t heard any reports of similar incidents in the area.

“It could be a case of wrong place, wrong time,” she said.

Ms Hamlin said detectives were out canvassing the surrounding area for relevant CCTV footage on Tuesday in an attempt to identify the offenders.

“The safety of the people and the community of the Sunshine Coast is our highest priority,” she said.

“This kind of behaviour is just not acceptable and not tolerated, and we’ll do what we can to find who they are and bring justice to the family.”

Police are urging anyone who was in the area between 7.30pm and 8.20pm on Sunday who may have relevant information, CCTV or dashcam vision to come forward.

A fundraiser has been established to support the family following the fire extinguisher attack.

In setting up the fundraiser, a friend of the family said the attack damaged newly purchased baby products and that the family’s car could be potentially written off.

“Not only has this affected their baby girl’s health, their new car, pram, brand new car seat have been ruined,” Emily said.

“Tiff only installed the car seat the day before and its completely damaged, filled with chemical from the extinguisher.

“They’ve also been told that the residue may not come out of anything and their car could be written off.

“We’ve seen the struggles Tiff and Leon have gone through to be able to afford and maintain the costs of raising their family, as we all know setting up life with a new baby is so expensive they do not have the means to replace their car, pram, baby seat.”

Emily said Tiffany will never be able to “unhear” Pixie’s screams as she was receiving medical care.

“Tiffani said Pixie’s scream was something she’ll never unhear when she received medical attention,” she said.

“She will receive further check ups in coming days its so sad seeing her so unsettled she’s such a happy bubba.”

Originally published as Baby screaming in hospital after fire extinguisher attack