A student from Cambridge University found himself with burns after his sheep costume was caught in flames during a night of drinking. The accident could have been most likely caused by an initiation ritual gone wrong.
The as-yet unidentified male student is a first-year student at the Sidney Sussex College (a constituent of Cambridge). Daily Mail reported that he is a member of the Roundheads drinking society. There apparently was an event called "Caesarian Sunday" at Jesus Green, Cambridge, and he was joined by more than 2,000 undergraduates for a night of partying.
Witness accounts state that the guy on fire seem to have come out of nowhere. Joshua Jackson, a first-year student at Queens' College, told the above source that everyone was just "enjoying their selves" when suddenly a huge uproar led their attention to a guy that seemed to have been set on fire.
They add that as the student on fire "rolled around on the ground," the people around poured beer at him, perhaps in a misguided attempt to help put out the flames. Needless to say, it made the fire worse. The student ended up throwing his self into a nearby river, after which he passed out.
While seemingly random, there were reports that the event was part of an initiation ritual. There is a strong possibility that the accident was a result of a deliberate act. Caesarian Sunday is, after all, a go-to for drinking society rituals.
Meanwhile, Paramedics from Prince William's East Anglian Air Ambulance responded to treat and care for the victim. He was then taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital, where the major trauma unit could treat and attend to his wounds and burns, as Mirror reported.
The summer season's drinking parties will end this June in an event called "Suicide Sunday." If the reports are proven true, the Cambridge University student would not be the only one participating in initiation rituals like this one.
