Mother in internet warning over 'choking game'

Mother-of-five Jo Mison said she was convinced that her son Tyler had died after experimenting with a “choking game” and said parents and people working with children should be made aware of the dangers.

She was speaking after an inquest heard Tyler was found hanging from a cabin bed at his home in Shotley Gate, Suffolk, in September 2009.

Coroner Peter Dean recorded an open verdict following a hearing in Ipswich.

Police said they could find no clues to indicate why Tyler, who was born in Manchester, had hanged himself and no evidence he had been playing a “choking game”.

But Dr Dean said the possibility of “some form of high-risk game experimentation” could not be excluded.

Dr Dean said Tyler seemed a “normal happy lad” and there was no evidence to suggest that he intended to take his own life.

Mrs Mison said she had conducted private research after Tyler’s death and was sure he had been trying “the choking game” – which, she said, youngsters played to give themselves a “high”, the inquest heard.

She said in the weeks before his death Tyler had bloodshot eyes, headaches and marks on his neck.

Mrs Mison said she had thought nothing of them at the time but with hindsight felt that they were classic signs of “choking” game experiments.

Mrs Mison said she quickly found details of the “game” on the internet and wanted to highlight the risks.

“I am 100 per cent sure that is what he was doing,” she said, after the inquest. “I would say 90 per cent of the signs were there – although I didn’t think anything at the time.”

She added: “I had never heard of ‘the choking game’ before. I don’t think parents in Britain have. But it is well known in America and you can find it on the internet... It is just like doing drugs. It gives kids a ‘high’.

“I think teachers, parents, anyone who works with children should be made aware of the signs and the dangers.

“And I would urge operators of social networking sites, YouTube, any internet site to look into this and take off anything which might encourage children to try it.”

In August, an inquest in Chelmsford, Essex, heard how a 13-year-boy from Braintree, Essex, Harry Robinson, died while apparently playing the “game”.