3 year old chokes on popcorn and dies....

Here's the story (currently on CNN)

VALLEY STREAM, New York (AP) -- A 3-year-old boy choked to death while eating popcorn at a movie theater.

Deontea Riley, of New York City, was at the Sunrise Multiplex Cinemas in Long Island's Valley Stream watching "Alien vs. Predator" with his parents and older brother when he began to choke shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday, Nassau County police said.

The family all had been eating from a small tub of popcorn when Elaine McIntosh, the boy's mother, saw that her youngest son was choking.

What really gets me (beyond the fact that she must not have been doing the Heimlich right)...is the movie these people were seeing. I went and saw this too over the weekend, and I can't believe the number of small children watching this movie! But honestly, a 3 year old? Jeez! Get a damned sitter, or just don't go.... True, the kid would have died regardless of what movie more likely than not, but still makes me wonder about people....

He might not have died if he had gone to any other movie...the action packed AVP coulda startled him into choking on the popcorn. If it was...say Anchorman or another movie that wouldnt have startled him...then he most likely wouldnt have choked. Or if it was a really boring movie...like say Little Black Book (looks horribly boring and stupid)....then he may have fallen asleep and never have eaten any popcorn at all.

I look forward to the movie that can make somebody choke

AVP for a 3 year old? Thats not right, who would let a 3 year old see a sci/fi horror movie? Even if it is PG-13, still has alot of violence and for a three year old, the Predators and Alien could seem real to him.

Why can't parents take their little kids to see family orented movies?

Thats awfull, I agree what the heck are the parents of this child letting him watch that kind of thing at 3yrs old.

Also 7pm! most 3yr olds are tucked up in bed by that time, or in PJ;s getting ready too,

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this is strange. My son is 7 and he got to see the Haunted Mansion just this past Sunday and I thought it was a bit scary for him but he liked it. No way I'd take him to AVP especially on the big screen. Nightmares for a month, guaranteed.


I'm also a little suspiciaous of someone choking to death on popcorn. I can certainly see choking but a kernal of popcorn completely blocking an airway long enough to kill someone is rare at best. Saliva tends to break it down even before you chew or swallow so how could it have completely block the airway? Nah, something else is up here. Wait and see.

The problem is not the film its letting your kid eat popcorn at age 3 Like on most packages it says suiteable for ages what ever and up so there must be an age as to what is considered safe for kids to eat popcorn as it contains small bits If you get what I'am trying to say.





[Edited on 17/8/2004 by SE7EN]

Yeah, thats why we whenever we make popcorn we make sure that my two year old brother, only gets pieces that have little bits of kernal or no kernal at all. We smush iot or break the bigger ones in half for him.

Whats even worse I've heard and known some kids whose parents let them at age 4 watch Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13, and Halloween movies. I just hope the parents had the sense to cover the kids eyes.

Damn choking on some popcorn?

Of all the ways to go that one must really really suck.

I mean I just picture the kid waiting in line to get into heaven, and some guy asking him "Hey kid how did ya die? Were you sick? then the kid goes..... "no I choked on some popcorn because my asshole parents took me to see a movie I wasnt even supposed to see in the first place and to top it all off they couldn't even do the Heimlich right!!" then the guy goes...... "well # kid I got drunk and crashed into a bus" LOL!

Choked on popcorn? Quite possible, childeren can choke on peanuts to, according to my peanut bags.

Maybe the parents werent familair with the Alien or Predator series??

This just goes to show how fragile life can be. Very sad.

Its pg-18 over here in ireland! pg-13 over there!!!!!!!!!!????????

Darwinian selection at work here. No mystery, no conspiracy, just poor parenting.

This world is for those that can devour popcorn without repercussion