Mom feared she would burn to death after being trapped in the tanning bed

A mother of four has revealed how she feared for her life after being trapped in a tanning bed.

Natalie Rene, 33, said she first suspected a problem when the lid slammed shut as she lowered herself onto the bed in a salon in Loughborough, Leicestershire.

Realizing it couldn’t be reopened, she panicked and pressed a button to turn off the UV lamps, which can cause dangerous skin burns and increase the risk of cancer after too much exposure.

“I thought that was my coffin,” she said, adding that she was afraid of “burning.”

“I’m really strong, but I just couldn’t lift the lid off myself. I literally had an inch or so and all I could do was slide from side to side a little.

“I’m not good with small spaces and my anxiety was through the roof. I thought I would be crushed – if not burned. Then they would have to pull out my naked body.’

The lights just went out, but only “after what felt like an eternity,” Natalie recalled while screaming for help.

After about five minutes, two staff members came to the rescue, Natalie added, but they were unable to help.

Two other customers joined but called 999 after realizing their efforts were in vain.

Firefighters came and freed Natalie while she covered herself with a piece of paper.

Natalie said: “We would have been so screwed if it weren’t for these two women [customers] – you helped me a lot.

“You were a godsend. I am so infinitely grateful to them. They were the only ones who could think clearly.

“Apparently the sun lounger had just been serviced – but firefighters said the hinges were completely broken.”

The venue’s owner, Tanning House by Miami Sun, did not comment on the incident.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, Visit our news page.