12 Year Old Dies In Zip Line Accident
A 12-year old Washington state boy died Wednesday when he accidentally hung himself on a backyard zip line.
The boy, identified by NBC as Jackson Roos, was playing by himself while his mother thought he was riding bikes. When she went to look for him, she found him hanging on the zip line. Medics were called and attempted to resuscitate him, but Roos was pronounced dead on the scene.
SeattlePi.com reports that it wasn’t exactly known how the boy became tangled in the line. Authorities planned to investigate whether his chin strap or the harness he was using may have malfunctioned in some way.
“We’re not sure what he caught got on,” King County Sheriff’s spokesperson Cindi West said. “At this point, it does appear to be an accident.”
The zip line in question was 20 to 25 feet above the ground and appeared to be professionally installed. It was about 1oo feet long and was removed from the grounds by authorities as part of the investigation.
“This is terrible,” said West. “Our hearts go out to the family … and the first responders that come here. This isn’t something anybody wants to experience, whether you’re a family member or police officer or firefighter so it’s just tragic all the way around.”
The Redmond Reporter noted that a Facebook page had been set up in Roos’ honor. One person commenting on the page, Jeanne Tueller Krumperman, said, “I keep thinking about how a few years ago, Jackson did me a big favor and sang in the children’s Christmas choir. He was so good-natured and positive about doing it, and I am grateful I had that chance to get to know him better. Your family is in our hearts and prayers.”
