A 15-year-old boy has reportedly died after mimicking a "pass out game" he had seen on YouTube.
Authorities say the Chula Vista, Calif., teen died on Tuesday "in a freak accident" at his home after he made himself pass out and then fell onto [a drinking] glass that slashed his throat," the Associated Press reports.
Police say the teenager and his two friends had been watching a video on YouTube about how to "intentionally pass out through hyperventilation" just before the tragedy occurred.
“The victim apparently did what was in the video, fell forward and landed on a drinking glass on the floor,” Chula Vista Police Captain Gary Wedge said, according to ABC 10 News.
The teen reportedly lost consciousness and was assisted by his friends and family before paramedics arrived. Though the teen is said to have regained consciousness briefly, he collapsed again and ultimately died at a hospital.
Police described the death as a tragic but avoidable accident. “Nothing good can come out of watching videos like that,” Wedge said.
Throughout the last few years, several teenagers have died because of the so-called "pass out game." In August 2010, for example, Chicago authorities said two teens had died as a result of the dangerous -- but all too common -- practice.
"[Children] think it's safe," psychiatrist Daniel Cowell, who has studied the phenomenon, told UPI at the time. "It's far from safe."
According to a study published earlier this year, one in 16 kids have experimented with the choking game at least once.