12-year-old boy dies performing Superman stunt for social media in Noida

NOIDA: A 12-year-old boy in Parthala village of the city ended up strangling himself while performing a “Superman stunt” to post on social media. Four of his younger sisters were with him, including one who was holding the mobile camera to capture the video, police said on Wednesday.
On May 14, Surjeet tied a cloth around his neck like a cape to imitate the comic book superhero when he jumped from a wooden box he was perched on. He was strangled after the cloth got stuck on one of the edges of the box, police said. One of his younger sisters was recording the video for him.
The boy died at the District Hospital in Sector 30 on Tuesday, police said.
“Surjeet was trying to fly like Superman with a cape around his neck. At the time of the incident, he was with his four sisters, aged 11, 9, 7 and 5. His 11-year-old sister was recording the video for him,” said Sharad Kant Sharma, in- charge of the Sector 113 police station.
His father Brijesh, a security guard at a society in Sector 77, was working and his mother Renu was outside the house when the incident occurred.
“Surjeet was standing on a wooden box, barely 2 feet in height. After he jumped off the box, the cape around his neck got entangled on the other end of the box, choking him,” Sharma told TOI.
The boy’s sisters raised the alarm, prompting their mother to rush inside the house. Surjeet was taken to a nearby private hospital and later referred to the District Hospital in Sector 30.
“On Tuesday morning, the boy succumbed to his injuries. Doctors said the boy’s respiratory tract was badly damaged,” Sharma said, adding that the hospital reported the incident to the police, but a case has not been registered since it appears to be an accidental death.
The family members of the minor told police he was fond of watching Superman videos and would often try to emulate the comic book hero.
“My first suggestion is to oversee what children are doing on social media. It may also be beneficial to encourage kids to take up physical activities. Parental counselling too can help,” said Dr Neharshi Srivastava, assistant professor and rehabilitation psychologist (RCI) at the Amity University.