A 12-year-old boy was rushed to hospital with severe burns after his friends allegedly threw boiling water on his face while he slept during a sleepover in a supposed prank gone wrong.

The boy, from Georgia, US, was sleeping at his neighbour’s place while three other teens were playing video games.

His mother Tiffany West told WALB that the boys thought pouring hot water on the 12-year-old would be a funny prank.

However, the water was scalding and he suffered second-degree burns.

He was rushed to the burns united where he underwent surgery before recovering at home.

The boy's mum was left furious and the family have since had to give up work to look after him.

WALB reported that the three boys were arrested but were released back to their parents.

West told WALB she was furious over the incident and in a panic when she saw her badly injured son.

“I mean, I really can’t describe it now. In that moment I was just mad, hurt, in shock. Everything, I was seeing red. I was just trying to hurry up and get him some help.”

According to the victim’s aunt, the boy is “numb about” the incident and hasn’t shown any emotion when asked if he is furious or sad about the incident.

“You got to be in shock to know your friends are capable of doing this to you. Like somebody you trusted, it’s just horrible. He never thought something like this would happen to him.”

The family have had to stop working to look after the 12-year-old and face rising medical bills.

“My brother and Tiffany have been out of work since this happened with all the travelling. She is still gonna be out of work to take care of him while he is recovering. She needs to be here for him.”

The boy is expected to need counselling and faces the struggle of learning to “trust people again”.

The three boys aged between 13 and 15, who threw water over the 12-year-old’s face, will appear in court next month.

- NZ Herald