COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A 13-year-old Colorado boy was found dead in his closet after apparently playing the “choking game,” his family told KTTV.
Memphis Burgess was found by his father on Dec. 10.
“I went into his closet and I found him leaning up against the wall on his knees. I thought he was messing with me and I shook his shoulder. That’s when he turned around I noticed he was all blue and not breathing,” Brad Burgess told KKTV.
Brad Burgess found a rope on the ground near Memphis. The boy’s mother, Annette Burgess, said her son had a cognitive delay and likely didn’t realize the possible consequences of the game.
The game cuts off the flow of oxygen to the brain for a brief high. It can cause permanent damage to brain cells, strokes, or death, according to the report.
The family said they hope their son’s death will convince other parents to talk to their kids about the severity of the “game.”
