A teenager in Florida was reportedly strangled to death by his shirt. According to his mother, the clothing caught on a loose screw on a playground slide.
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The Teen Was Supposed To Be at School, Not the Playground
The New York Post reports that the freak accident involving Olvin Daniel Cabrera Valladares took place on Sep. 25.
"He was my baby, my youngest, just 13 years old. He had his whole life ahead of him," his mother, Estefanía Valladares, told reporters.
Olvin was supposed to be at school when the incident took place. Instead, he rode his scooter to the park. A man who went to the playground later that day with his own kids discovered the teen "caught on a screw."
"He told me he pulled on him, but he was caught on a screw," said Estefanía. "He pulled again, and my son fell out. His arm was inside of his shirt, and his collar was tight around his neck."
The Mother Tells Parents To Be Careful
Olvin was rushed to a hospital and put on life support. According to his family, he was declared brain dead on Oct. 1. The description on a GoFundMe page for Olvin says that "doctors and the medical team did everything they could" to bring him back.
"As a mother, it's very hard to lose a son. I never thought I would lose my son," Estefanía said.
Officials did not confirm the mother's claims. Reporters say the park was closed for a "non-criminal investigation" and opened the following day.
However, a spokesperson for the city told reporters that the fatal accident "is under active investigation."
Estefanía advised parents to watch their children at the playground.
She said, "Be careful taking your children to these parks. Look at the tragedy that happened to my son."
A GoFundMe has been created to help the family with funeral expenses. It has raised over $16,000 so far.
