SHOCKED relatives have paid tribute to a South Yorkshire eight-year-old who died after apparently hanging himself as he played on a rope swing in his back garden.
His headteacher at Carcroft Primary School in Doncaster has also expressed his sympathy for the family and plans a tribute to Harry Rowse, who he described as "happy and full of smiles".
Harry's heartbroken grandfather, 77-year-old Lawrence Jobli
ng, said: "The whole family is devastated. He was a happy lad and full of life and this was a tragic accident."
Harry was playing a game with friends last Thursday before he was due to set off for school in Carcroft. His family said he climbed a tree at the bottom of the garden and began swinging from a rope.
Moments later Harry was gasping for life after he slipped and the rope became tangled around his neck.
He was freed by his stepfather John, a police officer, who desperately fought to help him as paramedics raced to the scene in the garden of the family's semi-detached house.
He was rushed to Doncaster Royal Infirmary before being transferred to a specialist unit at Sheffield Children's Hospital where he was placed on a life support machine. The machine was turned off on Tuesday.
Mr Jobling said: "He was just swinging on the rope like any little lad would do for a bit of fun and he must have slipped and it went around his neck.
"He must have been there a few seconds before his stepdad went to help him. He did everything he could as the paramedics were called. They took him to hospital.
"He was put on a life support machine but the damage was so bad that the doctors couldn't do anything for him and they had to take the decision to turn it off."
A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "South Yorkshire Police were called to an address in Carcroft, Doncaster on July 10 following a report from the ambulance service that a boy had been found hanging in the back garden.
"He was taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary and later transferred to the children's hospital in Sheffield, where he died on July 15."
Harry's headmaster at Carcroft Primary School Simon Hickton, said: "Harry had been at our school only a few months but had settled well. He was full of energy, smiles and had new friends.
"Just the other weekend his grandma had told a member of staff that he was as happy as she had known him.
"He had already bought his class teacher an end of year card and present to thank him for teaching him.
"Our utmost sympathy is with his family as they come to terms with this tragic accident."
Mr Hickton said representatives from the school would be attending Harry's funeral and added: "I'm sure the school will be paying some sort of tribute, though I'm not sure what form it will take as yet. We have a couple of ideas which we will put to the pupils when they come back to school in September.
A post mortem examination by a paediatric pathologist in Sheffield gave no cause of death. An inquest will be opened in Doncaster next Tuesday and the death is not being treated as suspicious.
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