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A 13-year-old Utah boy was found dead with a tetherball rope wrapped around his neck in what his family called a “tragic accident” on their farm.
Maximus Knight went missing Saturday after he helped clean the Knights Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch at the farm in Venice, about 160 miles south of Salt Lake City, Fox 13 reported.
His family found him a short time later with the rope of a tetherball pole around his neck, according to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office. He was not breathing and had no pulse.
Dispatchers instructed people at the scene on how to administer CPR before paramedics arrived and restored a pulse.
Maximus was rushed to a local hospital and then flown to a medical facility in Salt Lake City, where he was pronounced dead, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The exact cause of death will be investigated by the state medical examiner’s office, but Sheriff Nathan Curtis said there was no sign of foul play or suspicious activity, according to Fox 13.
“Maximus was a beautiful, sweet and loving child who brought so much joy to his family and to his community,” his aunt Laurie Ann Thor wrote in a GoFundMe page, which first identified him.
“The youngest of his family, Maximus made every effort to impress his big brothers and care for those around him. Our hearts are broken as we struggle to make sense of this tragedy. We will forever mourn his passing,” she wrote.
“We are so amazed at the support given to this family, and want to thank everyone for their donations and kind words. At this time we have closed the donations and will assess the needs of the family,” Thor added after the amount raised reached more than $25,000.
A group of Maximus’ friends described him as someone who was quick to comfort and defend his pals.
“He would always stick up for others if anyone was talking bad about us,” a friend identified as Treyton told ABC4. “He would always stand up for us … he wasn’t scared to put people in their place.”
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