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Sarah Dallof Reporting There was a horrible accident Friday night in Orem. A 5-year-old boy was crushed by a slide in his own backyard. Evidently the slide was pulled over, and it landed on the little boy's neck.
Orem Police lieutenant Doug Edwards said, "It just tears your heart out to have something like this happen."
Police say normally the slide is anchored into the ground, but the house is being remodeled and the yard re-landscaped, so workers had uprooted it, making it top-heavy.
There were no witnesses, but investigators believe the boy was trying to swing from a rope hanging from the slide. The slide fell, pinning him by his neck. It's unknown how long the child was under the slide, but when a construction worker found him he was not breathing and did not have a pulse.
He was rushed to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Lt. Edwards said, "It's just absolutely heartbreaking. You would hope and expect your children are safe in their own backyard."
Lt. Edwards and another officer picked up the slide to get an estimate of its weight. They believe it weighs between 100 and 150 pounds.
The child's name is not being released. We do know he has other siblings, although we don't know how many.
Orem police say cases like this never get any easier. Several of the officers who responded have kids, making it especially difficult.
