Death by helium balloon

[Legend83]

Utterly awful story:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-1179...

Likely cause? Suffocation?

Bit scary, considering we all must have done this in the past.

[HundredthIdiot]

IIRC this is usually caused by starving the lungs of carbon dioxide, which is the physiological trigger for the breathing reflex.

CO2 is good for you.

[HundredthIdiot]

Link:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/143n8303631244...

[julian64]

I don't believe thats even remotely possible.

[Scraggles]

knew someone who did this, inhaled the gas for a laugh and reached the point of no return where he starved his brain of oxygen, then died on the spot, funeral was a few days later, guy was about 23 and in some good career

he did manage to win that week's darwin awards as a consolation prize

[Hugo a Gogo]

I think that's story's been blown up out of all proportion

[Great Pretender]

[Legend83]

Great Pretender said:

Probably not a great smiley to go on this thread.

[Sonic]

Legend83 said:

Great Pretender said:

Probably not a great smiley to go on this thread.

I'm amazed i'm not dead after reading that article.

[Hugo a Gogo]

any suggestion it was suicide?

rumours that the girl stormed out after a row claiming "I won't be spoken to in that tone!"

[KingRichard]

Hugo a Gogo said:

any suggestion it was suicide?

rumours that the girl stormed out after a row claiming "I won't be spoken to in that tone!"

[mr_spock]

A friend of mine is an engineer at a well known gas producer. He told me that "balloon gas" contains enough oxygen that inhaling it briefly is "safe", but pure helium can kill in three deep breaths. The oxygen is purged from the lungs and the body can't recover in time to save you.

You die of a cardiac arrest basically. Don't do it.

[MK4 Slowride]

Ultimately we humans don't run on Helium. st way to go.

[Pesty]

Hugo a Gogo said:

any suggestion it was suicide?

rumours that the girl stormed out after a row claiming "I won't be spoken to in that tone!"

this was an absolute tragedy





anyway have one of these


Absolutely feel for the parents what a terrible thing to have to live with.


for teh medics out there would mouth to mouth have maybe brought her back?

[Legend83]

Pesty said:

Hugo a Gogo said:

any suggestion it was suicide?

rumours that the girl stormed out after a row claiming "I won't be spoken to in that tone!"

for teh medics out there would mouth to mouth have maybe brought her back?

Only if they were tall enough to get her down from the ceiling.

[Eric Mc]

After the row with his girlfriend, he felt he needed a lift.

[Balmoral Green]

Legend83 said:

we all must have done this in the past.

A good lung full for a laugh at a party maybe, but that isn't likely to harm you (unless you really are overdoing it), let alone kill you. You have to take an awful lot and be taking big drags direct from the bottle to asphyxiate.

[Hugo a Gogo]

perhaps the government could tax this product, in the way they do with cigarettes, to protect us

they would need to increase the price way above the rate of inflation

[Great Pretender]

Eric Mc said:

After the row with his girlfriend, he felt he needed a lift.

He is actually a she;)

[Globs]

Hugo a Gogo said:

I think that's story's been blown up out of all proportion

That terrible joke left me feeling deflated.
I suppose for some people it's a gas?

I'm going to try to lighten up now..