A 12-year-old boy in Pringsewu regency, Lampung was injured after he got tangled in a kite string, swept high into the air, and broke his bones in the ensuing fall. The boy is said to be recovering following two surgical procedures.
As seen in a viral video, the boy, identified by his initials IR, was launched high into the air as he got tangled in the string of a kite that is at least three times his height. The incident took place at a field near a local high school last Tuesday, according to Ambarawa district head Sutikno.
IR suffered fractures in six places on both his arms after the fall, as confirmed by the Pringsewu Child Protection Agency (LPA) on Friday.
WARNING: This video may be distressing for some viewers.
Local residents promptly brought IR to a nearby clinic, after which he was referred to a local hospital to be treated for his broken arms.
IR’s older brother, 28-year-old Acil, said the kite was flown by another sibling while the young boy held the string. Acil said he went with them to the field but was waiting in the car when the incident occurred.
“The boy often hangs [onto the kite string]. But it ended up in an incident yesterday,” Acil said.
In light of the incident, LPA warned that children should fly kites that are appropriate in size, because this is not the first time that a child was launched into the air while flying a kite.
In Bantul regency, Yogyakarta, a 14-year-old boy got tangled in a kite string and was sent flying some 11 feet into the air. The kite then snapped and the boy fell to the ground, the impact from which fractured his groin.
