6-year-old Illinois boy with ‘a fearless spirit’ died after inhaling helium from balloon just days after birthday
An Illinois boy – who had just celebrated his sixth birthday – tragically died after inhaling helium from a Mylar balloon, family and officials said.
Gunner Hyatt likely suffocated to death when he breathed in the inert gas inside his Mt. Carmel home on May 29, according to the Wabash County Coroner’s Office, which responded to the grim scene.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the cause of death is consistent with suffocation due to a Mylar-helium filled balloon,” coroner Shaun Keepes said Wednesday, adding a warning to the public about the “unrecognized” dangers of the large, child-sized balloons.
“While often seen as harmless decorations, these balloons can pose serious risks – particularly to young children – including the rare but devastating possibility of suffocation and/or helium toxicity.”
Additional testing and toxicology are pending to determine the young boy’s official cause of death, which local police are also investigating.
