Lifestyle • 09 November 2025

Man 'boiled alive' in hotel shower on way to grandchild's graduation

A grandfather suffered fatal burns in a hotel shower where the water was found to be as hot as 135F, effectively 'boiling him alive'.

Terril Johnson, 72, of Los Angeles, was staying at the Fairfield By Marriott hotel in San Jose, California on May 22 with family ahead of his granddaughter Trinity's graduation.

After making the six-hour drive to the hotel, the Marine veteran took a hot shower and was found dead in the bathroom a short time later.

Horrific: Former Marine Terril Johnson, 72, was burned to death by scolding water in a shower in San Jose, California

Fractured: He was staying at the Fairfield By Marriott Inn & Suites hotel en route to his granddaughter's graduation

Terril's body was discovered by his grandson Deshun, partially submerged inside the bath with the water running. The water was so hot that family members were unable to pull his body out of the tub, according to a lawsuit.

The 135F water was 15 degrees higher than California's legal limit.

A lawsuit filed by relatives stated: 'Exposure to water at such temperatures is known to cause third-degree burns within seconds.

'They were forced to watch in horror as his skin peeled away from his body.'

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that a person can suffer from a third-degree burn after just 30 seconds of exposure to 130F water.

Infringement: The legal temperature limit for facility water is 120F in California. The Fairfield By Marriott Inn & Suites' water was recorded to be 135F

A medical examiner determined the grandfather's cause of death was 'severe scalding burns' to his neck, torso, and other parts of his body, covering roughly 30 per cent of his body.

The examiner also determined Johnson had high blood pressure.

The incident has left the Johnson family with nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder, their lawsuit claimed.

Accusing the hotel of wrongful death, the lawsuit read: 'This was not a freak accident. It was the direct result of Defendant’s gross negligence and failure to meet even basic safety obligations.'

Terril's family said the Vietnam veteran was a 'fun-loving person who enjoyed life'. He had a large presence in his children and grandchildren's lives, especially his granddaughters Trinity and Heaven.

Ever-present: Terril was said to be very active in his children and grandchildren's lives