A 12-year-old boy was found dead during a family celebration by his cousin after he tried to replicate a scene from Squid Game, an inquest has heard.
Sebastian Cizman was found unresponsive at his family home in Glasshoughton, West Yorkshire, during his younger brother’s First Holy Communion celebrations.
It is thought he had tried to choke himself until he passed out in a trend which has been linked to multiple child deaths.
Despite attempts to revive him he was pronounced dead at hospital.
Police found an image of Netflix dystopian thriller Squid Game on his phone, including a character who was found hanging.
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He had even shared the image on a WhatsApp group on the day of his death.
His search history also revealed a YouTube video about ‘surviving choking alone’.
Sebastian’s parents Marcin and Katarzyna said their son was a happy boy with no mental health problems.
Assistant coroner John Hobson ruled the death as misadventure.
Dr Philip Dore, headteacher at St Wilfred’s Catholic High School, described Sebastian as a popular and funny pupil, and was named ‘star of the class’.
Katarzyna previously told the Daily Mail: ‘We were cooking downstairs, and the kids had all been playing on the trampoline.
‘Marcin brought out ice creams and called the kids. Then the kids came downstairs without Sebastian.
‘So Marcin asked “where’s Sebastian?”. His cousin said they were tired from jumping on the trampoline and that he went upstairs for a rest.
‘He told them to go and fetch him, and they came back after a few seconds and said “I don’t know if Sebastian’s joking or not, but he’s lying on the stairs”.’
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