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A tragic incident in Texas has claimed the life of a young girl who accidentally strangled herself while attempting a dangerous social media challenge known as the “blackout challenge.” Her grieving family is now speaking out, hoping to raise awareness about the perilous trend that has gained traction online.
JackLynn Blackwell, a 9-year-old from Stephenville, Texas, lost her life on February 3 after choking herself in her family’s backyard, as reported by CBS News.
“She went outside to play, as she usually does,” recounted her father, Curtis Blackwell, in an interview with CBS News. “I noticed it was unusually quiet—quieter than it should have been.”
Curtis described the heart-wrenching moment he discovered his daughter. “I saw her near the carport and caught sight of her hair. I called out, ‘JackLynn!’ Initially, I thought she was bending over, playing as she often did in that spot. But tragically, she wasn’t playing.”
“Then I saw her kind of around the corner that goes to the carport, saw her hair. I said, ‘JackLynn!’ I thought she was bending over playing ’cause she was always in that area playing, but she wasn’t playing.”
The father quickly went to check on his daughter, who was found motionless with a cord wrapped around her neck.
JackLynn Blackwell was killed while participating in the viral “blackout challenge” circulating on social media, according to reports. (iStock)
“I tried to do everything I could to save her,” Curtis Blackwell told the outlet. “I got her off the cord. I tried to give her CPR until the first responders got there. It was the most terrifying, shocking thing I’ve ever seen.”
The incident unfolded after JackLynn showed her grandmother a video of the online challenge in which children and teens film themselves intentionally being choked to the point of blacking out or experiencing a euphoric “high,” according to CBS.
JackLynn Blackwell died in the backyard of her family’s Stephenville, Texas home – located approximately 70 miles from Fort Worth. (iStock)
“It was horrible to see my daughter in such a vulnerable state because of something so senseless.”
In light of their daughter’s tragic death, JackLynn’s parents are slamming social media companies for allowing such dangerous videos to circulate on their platforms, CBS reported.
“It’s not a joke, it’s not a game, it’s life and death,” Curtis Blackwell said, according to the outlet.
“Most of the kids are like 9 years old to 14 years old. A lot of kids her age, their brains aren’t fully developed, and they are very easily influenced.”
Approximately 80 children have died from the online trend, according to the CDC, CBS reported.
Several social media companies are reportedly blocking videos related to the deadly challenge or issuing warnings to viewers who search for related keywords.
However, the warnings are too late for JackLynn’s grieving parents, who are looking to hold social media companies accountable for the videos posted to their platforms.
“You could check on your kid, it could be kid-friendly videos, and then three minutes later it could be totally something dark because of the algorithms they start creating,” Curtis Blackwell told CBS. “There’s too many of these kids lost for these companies not to be held accountable in my eyes.”