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A 7-year-old Lancaster boy appears to have been the victim of an accidental hanging. The child, identified as Aaris M. Conway, was discovered hanging by a martial arts belt from the branch of a tree in his own backyard.A family member found the boy's body on Friday evening, and contacted authorities, according to City News Service.
Conway's mother, Evelyn Briggs, spoke to CBS2, and says her son's hanging was an accident, and that her boy was very much into karate: "She isn’t sure entirely what happened but believes the boy’s karate belt somehow strangled him as he tried to jump from a tree he was playing in." The grieving mother added:
“He likes to climb in the tree,” his mother says, “and it’s such a tragedy. Tangling and choking on his belt. It’s horrible.”
An official cause of death has not been determined, and the incident remains under investigation.