12-Year-Old Boy Dies Trying To Fly Like Superman To Post On Social Media

A 12-year-old boy died after he tried to imitate the fictional superhero Superman by tying a cloth as a cape around his neck.

The incident took place in Noida on the outskirts of India's capital New Delhi last week, but the boy died Tuesday.

Police said the boy, Surjeet, was recording a video trying to show he could fly like Superman. Four of his younger sisters were with him and one of them was holding a mobile camera to capture the moment. Their mother was reportedly not at home at the time.

"The boy was trying to make a video of himself. He tied a cape around his neck to imitate Superman. His eldest sister, aged 11, was recording the video while Surjeet was standing atop a wooden box barely 2 feet in height. He jumped from the box at the count of three. The other end of the cape got entangled in the box, tightening the noose around his neck and he collapsed," police officer Sharad Kant Sharma told the Hindustan Times.

"The sisters raised an alarm after Surjeet collapsed and their mother came rushing. Surjeet was taken to a private hospital for treatment, from where he was referred to the district hospital in Sector 30. After taking treatment for three days, he succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday morning," the officer added.

Doctors reportedly told the family members that the boy's respiratory tract was damaged while performing the stunt. This also resulted in his death.

The family members told police the boy was fond of watching Superman videos and would often try to imitate his favorite character, The Times of India reported.

Last December, a teenager in India died while trying to film himself performing a suicide stunt for Instagram Reels. The 16-year-old unidentified boy accidentally strangulated himself in front of a group of friends who were invited as an audience to watch him shoot the reel.

To enact the scene, the teen tied a rope to the ceiling and put a noose around his neck while standing on a chair. Accidentally, the boy tripped from the chair and was choked to death. His friends who were at the scene panicked and ran away.