News

Boy Hospitalized After Imitating Naruto in Sandbox (Updated)

KOMO-TV, the ABC affiliate in Seattle, Washington, reports that a 10-year-old boy has been in critical condition at a local hospital, after being buried headfirst in a sandbox in an imitation of scenes from the Naruto anime series. Codey Porter was playing with five other children in a family friend's backyard in unincorporated Everett on Saturday when he reportedly asked them to bury him in a one-foot-deep sandbox from his head to his chest. According to Porter's half-brother whose three sons were with Porter, the incident was an attempt to recreate the attacks used by the fictional ninja from Naruto's Village Hidden in the Sand.

Porter is said to have thrashed around before the other children realized there was a problem and called for adults. The adults summoned medical help and adminstered CPR to get Porter breathing again. Medics took Porter to an Everett hospital and then to the Children's Hospital of Seattle. The broadcast television version of KOMO-TV's report included clips from the Naruto anime series and a description of the "sand ninjas."

Thank you to Jerry Baker for the news tip.

Update: KOMO-TV now lists the boy's name as Codey Porter in its news update.