Who doesn’t know the hide and seek game? This traditional game must have accompanied our childhood moments. Without having to spend any money, we can have fun with our peers while also exercising. Sadly, there are cases of hide-and-seek that have cost players their lives.
Hide and seek game is globally known by that name. This game can almost be found all over the world, with a long history that has been rooted for thousands of years. So it’s not just found in Indonesia.
Well, cases of death due to playing hide and seek have also spread to various places, both domestically and internationally. The average cause is due to accidents. Here we provide a summary of four cases that have occurred.
Hiding in the Car, Died from Suffocation
The first tragic news came from Bekasi. A 6-year-old child was found lifeless in a locked car in 2019. What’s the story?
Upon investigation, it turns out that the child with the initials MFA was previously playing hide and seek with his friends. Then he hid in one of the cars parked near his house.
After being searched for, the child was still not found. Four hours after being reported missing, at 2 PM, the father found his child unconscious and face down in a sedan.
“The victim’s father found the victim in a sedan parked in front of the victim’s house, lying face down, unconscious, and weak,” said the Head of Public Relations Subdivision of the Bekasi City Metro Police, Kompol Erna, as quoted by detikcom.
Then, the victim was immediately taken to the hospital. However, their life could not be saved. The victim died in the hospital, allegedly due to suffocation while hiding in the car.
The Neck Was Entangled in a Swing Rope while Playing Hide and Seek Game
The second tragic incident was experienced by a child in Pontianak on June 2024. KN, who was only 12 years old, tragically died entangled in a swing rope while playing hide and seek.
The police reported that when the victim was found, he was already entangled in the swing rope with a pale face. His mouth was also frothing, and both of his legs were dangling on the floor.
“At that time, the victim’s condition, who was already entangled and caught in the swing rope, was noticed by his friend.” Then, it was immediately reported to the homeowner,” said Pontianak Police Chief Kombes Pol. Adhe Hariadi on Friday (28/6/2024), as quoted by Viva.
According to the police, the victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The medical team immediately provided intensive care. However, his life ended in the afternoon.
Siblings Die in an Old Refrigerator
The third story shifts abroad, taking place in a village named Mikhaylovka in Eastern Kyrgyzstan. Quoting from the Daily Mail, a game of hide and seek claimed the lives of two siblings there in 2019, namely David, who was 6 years old, and Nikita, who was only 4 years old.
Initially, the two children were playing hide and seek at home. The older sibling hid from the younger one and chose to enter the old refrigerator that had been left outside the house. Nikita managed to find her older sibling, and then she followed him inside.
Unfortunately, they were still too young to be careful. They didn’t know that the refrigerator was made during the Soviet era and could only be opened from the outside. David and Nikita were trapped inside it.
Over time, Roman and his wife, Yulia, realized their child was not seen around the house. For hours they searched, but they overlooked checking the old refrigerator outside the house. Finally, they reported it to the police.
The officers arrived at their house and immediately conducted a search, starting from inside the house and moving to the yard. When they saw the neglected old refrigerator, the officers immediately checked it. And there, the bodies of the siblings lay limp.
Their desperate parents tried to perform CPR, but it was all too late. David and Nikita have become history.
Four Children Died Shivering in a Freezer
Another hide-and-seek incident that resulted in casualties occurred in Namibia last September. Four children were trapped in a freezer while playing hide and seek and were found suffocated.
Quoted from the AFP news agency, the ages of the four children ranged from 3 to 6 years old. They were hiding in the freezer and locked inside.
“There is a latch on the freezer that can only be opened from the outside,” said Zambezi district police commander, Andreas Shilelo, on Tuesday (17/9/2024). “They were trapped for about 1.5 hours and suffocated.”
Two victims died in the freezer, while the others were found nearly unconscious and died upon arrival at the hospital.
The four unfortunate children were found by one of their mothers. The woman was searching for her son, who did not respond when called. She then checked the contents of the freezer and found her child trapped inside.
Those were some cases of hide-and-seek games that ended tragically around the world. Hopefully, this can serve as a reminder for us, especially parents, to always be careful and pay attention to our children.
Besides accidents, there are also many stories of children going missing while playing hide and seek game. Among them is a viral story on YouTube about an older sibling searching for their younger sibling who went missing in an old house while hiding. The story was then adapted into a feature film titled Petak Umpet, produced by Pichouse FILMS and PAW Pictures, which has been released on November 21, 2024.
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