8-year-old boy accidentally hangs self playing on bed

TOOELE — Tragedy struck a Stansbury Park family Sunday when an 8-year-old boy was killed when he accidentally hung himself while playing in his bedroom.

The boy, whose name was not released by authorities Monday, had just finished eating with his family about 5:30 p.m. and asked if he could go outside to play with his brother, said Tooele County Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Morgan.

The boy went into his room to change his clothes and shut the door. At some point between taking off his church clothes and putting on his play clothes, he picked up a terry cloth belt from a bathrobe, Morgan said. He wrapped it around his bunk bed and then officials believe he put the other end around his neck like a scarf and played a game in which he wrapped himself in the belt and then twirled.

Officials believe at some point the belt may have become stuck and the boy attempted to unwrap it, but went the wrong direction and ended up wrapping it even tighter, Morgan said.

Approximately 15 minutes later, the boy's older brother went into the room to find out why he was taking so long to go outside, and found his brother hanging from the bed.

The boy is survived by his parents and three older brothers.

— Pat Reavy