Blackburn lighting cord boy 'seconds from death'

9:59pm Wednesday 16th April 2008

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A FOUR-year-old boy was "seconds" from accidentally hanging himself with a light cord in his mother's bedroom.

Jake Wilson went blue after tangling his neck around the pull cord and was fighting for his life before his mum Emma, 32, was able to free him.

Doctors said that the youngster could easily have been killed in the incident, which Emma said had left them both traumatised.

The accident happened at the family home in Maricourt Avenue, Intack, Blackburn, on Tuesday.

Emma, who works in the clothing department at Tesco, Burnley, said: "I can't believe how close we came to losing him. He's just got a very sore neck, but we all know it could have been a lot worse.

"I thought he was going to die. When I saw him he had turned blue, had gone floppy and was gasping for breath.

"I was able to free him and called an ambulance and luckily we got him to hospital very quickly.

"He doesn't seem too bad now but I can barely bring myself to look at his neck. It is very upsetting. He was seconds from death."

After X-rays and a series of tests Jake was allowed to go home but he was left with nasty cuts around his neck where the cord dug into him and where his nails scratched as he tried to free himself.

Jake, who attends Shadsworth Road Nursery, lives with his brothers Joe, five, and Jack, 11, who both go to Belmont Primary School, along with his mum Emma and dad John, 38, who has his own mobile vending machine business covering the whole of East Lancashire.

She said that while watching television at 1.45pm on Tuesday afternoon Jake began playing with a pull cord for a light switch above Emma's bed.

Jake was sat on the bed with his brother Joe when he got into difficulties. He said that he had been playing with the cord around his neck before slipping from the side of the bed.

Jake said: "I got tangled in the cord. It really hurt and still hurts a lot now."

Emma said she was cleaning her bathroom at the time and was alerted to Jake's accident by his brother's screams.

She said: "I just tried to lift him up and take the pressure off his neck. I was terrified about what happened. It just never occurred to me that something like that could happen. I've now cut the cord off and I want to warn other parents to make sure this doesn't happen to any other children.

"Jake will be alright but it could have been much more serious."

Lancashire Telegraph resident medical expert Dr Tom Smith said that Jake could easily have choked to death in the incident.

He said: "Pull cords like this are very dangerous for young children and should not be within reach.

"The accident could have been very serious. Had he fallen violently with the cord around his neck he would have died instantly.

"The cord could also have caused a nerve reflex in the carotid artery, knocking him unconscious. He is lucky that he is alright."

Jo Stagg from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said around two children every year die after becoming tangled in cords around their necks at home.

She said: "Thankfully tragedies like this are few and far between but there are real dangers around the home that many parents just do not think about.

"We would advise all parents of young children to check around their homes and make sure there is nothing hanging that a child could become entangled in."