Colorado Boy Dies After 'Blackout Challenge'

AURORA, CO — A 12-year-old Colorado boy died after he participated in the dangerous internet "blackout challenge," his family said Monday.

Joshua Haileyesus was found unconscious and not breathing on the bathroom floor on March 22, his family said in a GoFundMe page set up to pay for his medical expenses. "After fighting the good fight on life support for 19 days, Joshua has gone off to be with the Lord," the page said.

The challenge — also known as "the choking game," "speed dreaming" and "good kid's high" — encourages participants to choke themselves until they pass out.

Joshua's twin brother tried to resuscitate him until an ambulance arrived, the family said.

Doctors warned the family that Joshua would likely not survive, but the family held out hope.

His father, Haileyesus Zeryihun, said he wanted people to see what his family is going through because of the challenge. He said parents and their children should be more cautious of what they engage with online or else it could result in the same deadly consequences.

Joshua was an "incredibly intelligent, funny, caring, and gifted" boy, his family said on the GoFundMe page. "Together with his twin brother, he would learn and master new hobbies out of pure curiosity and drive."

He would play soccer, barbecue "sophisticated meals," practice professional photography, experiment with 3D modeling software, play guitar and learn about screenwriting and costume design, his family said.

"Since he was very young, he always expressed compassion for others," the post said. "He would pray for people who were sick, stand up for others who were bullied at school, and practice CPR in case he ever needed to save someone else’s life."

Joshua's family said they want to make sure "nothing like this happens to anyone else."

Here are some things to know about the deadly game.

What Is The Challenge?

The challenge asks people, primarily children, to intentionally choke themselves or others in an attempt to feel a lightheaded euphoria without having to buy alcohol or drugs, according to Time magazine.

The game has been around since the 1990s, and awareness was primarily spread through word of mouth. It gained traction online in recent years, where it spreads more easily.

Have People Died From It?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention commissioned a report on the game and found that from 1995 to 2007, 82 people died in the United States because of it. Most of the victims were boys between 11 and 16.

The CDC hasn't studied the choking game since then, but it did report that more than 1,400 children died from accidental hanging or strangulation from 2000 to 2015, according to Time.

Have Websites Tried To Stop It?

A search on TikTok of terms associated with the choking game did not pull up any related videos on the platform. A company spokesperson said in a statement to Patch that the platform removes any content that violates its policy against suicide, self-harm and dangerous acts.

"At TikTok, we have no higher priority than protecting the safety of our community, and content that promotes or glorifies dangerous behavior is strictly prohibited and promptly removed to prevent it from becoming a trend on our platform," the company said in a statement. "We also block related hashtags and searches to discourage people from participating in or sharing potentially dangerous content."

The choking game also violates YouTube's policy against allowing "challenges that pose an imminent risk of physical injury." The company told Time in 2018 it increased its moderation efforts to remove videos related to the game.

Facebook similarly told the magazine that it found no mention of the game on its platform after a yearlong internal investigation.

Patch Editor Andy Nyugen contributed to this report.

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