Fifteen-year-old remains in hospital after Frick lab accident

A summer program participant was seriously injured after ingesting liquid nitrogen in a University chemistry lab last Friday.

The young man remains hospitalized. His condition, which was initially deemed critical, was upgraded to stable on Tuesday.

Borough Police Lt. Nick Sutter said that the student informed Borough Police that his injuries were the result of drinking liquid nitrogen. The student’s name has not been released.

The 15-year-old is from India and was attending the Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG), a residential academic program that offers courses for students in grades seven to 11. SIG is not affiliated with the University.

The incident occurred when students in the program were making ice cream, according to a statement from SIG spokeswoman Nancy Sterling.

The incident occurred in Frick lab just before 3 p.m. Friday. Public Safety received report of a young man having convulsions, University spokeswoman Cass Cliatt ’96 said.

The Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad arrived at the scene and found the young man complaining of “severe abdominal pain,” Director of Operations Frank Setnicky said. The student was then rushed to the University Medical Center at Princeton

Liquid nitrogen is an inert but extremely cold substance often mixed with milk, cream, sugar and vanilla to make homemade ice cream, a common science project. With its low boiling point of -321°F (-196°C), liquid nitrogen is frequently used as an instant freezing agent.

Drinking it alone, however, can result in cold burns of internal organs when the liquid expands into a gas as it encounters the increased temperature of the human body.

Sterling’s statement explained that students "had been given instructions on safety and procedures and five staff members were monitoring the class when a student suffered an unexplained medical incident ... Summer Institute for the Gifted has been in contact with his family and we wish him a speedy recovery.”

It is “too early” to know the extent of the University’s liability in the incident as investigations are still underway, Cliatt said. She added that it is SIG’s duty to supervise its courses and students.

“It’s the University’s position that it’s the responsibility of the independent organization managing the program to take responsibility for their participants,” Cliatt said.

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SIG has operated a program at Princeton since 2004 and rents the necessary dorm, lab and classroom spaces from the University, Cliatt explained.

SIG President Barbara Swicord declined to comment on the matter, stating in an e-mail that "it would be extremely inappropriate for me to speak about the health of a minor."