Paramedics arrive after child takes YouTube water challenge

ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis area mother has a warning about YouTube challenges.  She says her 6-year-old son was with a friend when they recently decided to accept a challenge they saw on a video.  The challenge was to hold water in their mouth without laughing.  The mother says her son started laughing and choking.  She called 911 and paramedics responded to her home.

“They said to watch him for a couple of hours to make sure he’s breathing okay and if he wasn’t to take him to the hospital,” said the woman who asked us not to reveal her identity.  She said paramedics were concerned her son could have gotten water in his lungs.   She said, fortunately, her son is okay but believes YouTube challenges should be removed.

“I was scared I was going to lose my son,” said the boy’s mother.

YouTube tells us the video has now been age-restricted and that YouTube has never been for anyone under the age of 13.   The company tells us YouTubeKids is appropriate for pre-teens.

The mother we spoke with is happy the video is now age-restricted but still wishes it would be removed.

via: https://fox2now.com/2019/07/15/parent-calls-911-after-son-takes-youtube-challenge/

Photo Credit: Getty Images