Crime & Safety

Girl, 4, Dies After Accidental Strangulation with Jump Rope

A 4-year-old Sammamish girl died Tuesday night, Aug. 28, after apparently accidentally strangling herself with a jumprope at Samantha Smith Elementary, the King County Sheriff's Office said.

Police and paramedics responded to  Tuesday evening, Aug. 28, after a 4-year-old girl died from an apparent accidental strangulation by a jump rope.

The girl was playing at the school with a live-in caretaker, the caretaker's mother, and the girl's twin brother around 7 p.m. Tuesday. The girl had been playing with the jump rope around her neck, the boy told police.

The two adults and the boy went to pick berries, and when they returned, found the girl face down halfway down the slide with the jump rope tightly wrapped around her neck, KCSO Sergeant Cindi West said.

Find out what's happening in Bellevuewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The child was pronounced dead at Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue. The death appears to be accidental, but the King County Sheriff's Office is investigating.

Editor's note: 

Find out what's happening in Bellevuewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This story has been corrected after more accurate details on the children's ages was released by the King County Sheriff's Office. Detectives say there was a substantial language barrier during the initial investigation and the caretaker was extremely distraught making it difficult to get information. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Bellevue