Ouch! 21 People Treated for Burns After Walking on Hot Coals at Tony Robbins Event

"Screams of Agony" Could Be Heard, Says Attendees

The temperature outside wasn't the only thing sizzling yesterday in San Jose, Calif., where motivational speaker Tony Robbins is currently hosting a four-day event entitled, "Unleash the Power Within." It's now being reported that 21 people needed medical attention for second and third degree burns after trying to walk on hot coals.

Robbins has been offering "The Firewalk Experience," at these types of gatherings for more than 30 years, his team claims - and have always made sure fire and medical personnel have been in attendance to oversee it. Good thing they were on hand yesterday, July 20, when "screams of agony" could be heard by many of those attempting the feat, witnesses claim.

Not long into the evening challenge, which featured 12 lanes of hot coals measuring 10 feet each, things appeared to go very, very wrong.

"It was people seriously hurting, like they were being tortured," attendee Jonathan Cornell, 25, told the San Jose Mercury News. "First one, then a couple minutes later another one, and there was just a line of people walking on that fire. It was just bizarre."

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Fortunately, not everyone had such a negative reaction. "Overcoming something like that was a breakthrough," another attendee, Henry Guasch, 19, attested. He added that chanting the words "cool moss" helped him complete the walk unscathed.

Still, second and third degree burns are no joke and the local fire captain says walking on hot coals is something they strongly discourage.

We have to say we agree. Besides, doesn't a foot massage sound oh-so-much more motivational, not to mention relaxing?