3-Year-Old Child's Tongue Swells After McDonald's Staff Mistakenly Fills Bottle with Hot Water

On February 9, a 3-year-old girl required hospital treatment after a staff member at a McDonald's in the Queensway area of Singapore mistakenly filled her water bottle with hot water, despite her father requesting cold water. The incident was shared by Ridhwan Muhammad, a 41-year-old former national football player, who explained that he asked staff to fill his daughter's bottle with cold water at the Ridout Tea Garden McDonald's branch. The staff filled the temperature-controlled bottle with hot water without warning, causing the child to drink it and immediately cry in pain. The bottle was a straw-equipped thermal bottle, not a typical hot water flask. Staff later admitted to 'not hearing the instructions clearly'. The child was unable to eat or drink normally for two days and required ice treatments. After four days, she began to recover but remained fearful of water bottles. McDonald's acknowledged the miscommunication, promising to review service procedures and emphasize clear communication, especially when handling drinks or hot items.