My sauna session took a horrifying turn when a giant RAT sank its teeth into my foot
A MAN who was bitten by a rat in a sauna has said he “can’t see a squirrel now without worrying” following the incident.
The unnamed man was walking barefoot between the plunge pool and sauna at the Beach Box Sauna in Brighton when the rat sank its teeth into his foot.
The man received medical attention, including injections against typhoid and diphtheria, to treat the wound.
Liz Watson, who owns the East Sussex sauna, said the business had “done more to strengthen their defences” to clamp down on the presence of rats.
Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed that officers are looking into the incident near Madeira Terrace on March 12.
Describing the situation, the victim said: “It bit right into my foot and I had to kick my foot before its teeth became dislodged.
“The rat flew through the air and hit the stones but my foot was bleeding badly.
“The staff didn’t really know what to do. They asked me if I wanted a plaster.
“I went to the sauna then someone walked in with an accident book.
“My primary concern was diseases. I asked staff to call 111 as my foot was still bleeding. The staff didn’t really do anything.”
He said the event has scarred him, and he now “can’t see a squirrel without worrying”, before expressing his fury at the lack of accountability from Beach Box Sauna.
He continued: “It’s shocking. They’re not taking responsibility for the environment that they’re in.
“It’s incredibly frustrating, it’s a worrying lack of responsibility, and it’s disrespecting her clientele.
“This is supposed to be a premium experience but it’s not.
“My foot was weeping for a couple of days and there are two marks. I can’t see a squirrel now without worrying.”
While the sauna has offered a refund by way of apology, the man has said he will be donating the returned sum to a friend’s charity.
Ms Watson said she and her team are regretful of what happened to her guest.
She said: “The health, safety and wellbeing of our clients is of paramount importance to us and we maintain a rigorous cleaning schedule throughout the day to ensure the highest hygiene standards.
“We want to be clear that the incident happened on the beach area of our site and not within one of our saunas.
“Part of the unique appeal of our sauna is that it sits within the natural environment. However, this can bring challenges as it means sharing the space with our local wildlife.
“We have measures in place to deter rodents from the site, however, since the incident we’ve strengthened our defences and are confident that this was an unfortunate one off.”
A spokesman added: “Our regulatory services team has been made aware of this case and will investigate further.”