Boy died in pull-up bar accident trying to get ‘six-pack’

A TEENAGE boy who wanted a “sixpack” accidentally strangled himself on a pull-up bar, an inquest has heard.

The family of Harry Rock, 13, spoke of their relief after the coroner ruled that their son had not taken his own life, but died in a “horrific accident”.

Harry, from Eastbourne in East Sussex, died after an exercise move went wrong when a dressing gown sash got caught around his face.

James Healy-pratt, the coroner, ruled that the teenager was not suicidal, saying that he had died of inadvertent suspension in “a tragic experiment that went sadly wrong”.

A statement from Harry’s GP confirmed that there was no mention of mental issues in his medical history and police found nothing on his telephone or on social media to suggest he was suicidal.

His mother, Amanda Rock, said: “I knew all along he hadn’t killed himself. There was no evidence to support it. He was a normal, happy 13-year-old boy. I truly believe it was a horrific accident. He was fun, loving, caring – he’d always open the door for you. He was a gentleman, not loud, not lairy.”

Helga Edwards, a family friend, said: “I am 100 per cent convinced that it was an accident and it would be a very cruel misjudgement for anyone to state that he took his own life.”

The homeschooled teenager had had a religious studies class on the morning of his death. His tutor, Rowanne Brown, said she did notice a bit of “teenage angst” and said he got “visibly upset” over being left out of a holiday which his father and stepmother arranged with their other children.

His mother found him after a home tutoring session and cut him down before performing CPR, but Harry was pronounced dead when he arrived at hospital, on March 20 last year.