An accident in a school washroom has left a Grade 3 Bearspaw Elementary School student in critical condition.
On Dec. 12 at the start of lunch recess, a student discovered the young boy unconscious, strangled by his school lanyard in the door of a washroom.
The student informed a teacher and the school contacted 911 emergency services and a teacher began CPR on the child, who had been choked for a maximum of four minutes, the time that elapsed from when he signed out of his classroom to use the washroom and when he was discovered.
The boy was transported to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary where he remains in stable, but critical condition. No further details are being released on the young student.
“Our entire organization is very shocked and almost in a state of disbelief,” said Rocky View Schools Superintendent Greg Bass during a press conference, Dec. 14. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the student and his family at this time.”
Bass said lanyard use is determined on a school-by-school basis within the school division and can be used for identification or hall and washroom passes.
Bass said lanyards are not used when children are playing on playground equipment or in gym class. He added Bearspaw School, a Kindergarten to Grade 8 school with more than 500 students, has discontinued the use of lanyards at this time.
Bass could not say whether the lanyard was a break-away type, but told reporters the Rocky View Schools board is analyzing their use.
“We are doing an analysis as we speak,” said Bass.
Cochrane RCMP spokesperson Darrin Turnbull said paramedics arrived on scene before the police and quickly began attending to the boy.
He said there was no foul play or criminal activity involved with the strangling, calling it a “tragic accident.”
“We have never heard of anything like this happening before,” said Turnbull. “It’s one of those things you can’t foresee.”
Chestermere-Rocky View MLA Bruce McAllister attended the press conference and said the community is hurting.
“This is a very tight-knit close community and I am here to lend a hand in any way I can,” he said. “Right now it’s time to just pray for the little guy and his family.”
McAllister wouldn’t comment on the use of lanyards in Rocky View Schools.
