We all do foolish things when we’re young, but some risks can lead to serious harm. Eleven-year-old Tyler Broome learned this painfully after joining the dangerous YouTube trend known as the “roundabout of death.”
The challenge involves sitting in the middle of a playground roundabout while a motorcycle wheel spins it at high speed. Tyler, trying to impress friends, was subjected to extreme G-forces, suffering injuries similar to “those observed in fighter pilots.”
He was later found unconscious near the roundabout, with possible brain and eye damage. His mother, Dawn, described the terrifying aftermath: “I don’t recognise my child – he is on the verge of having a stroke… His head has completely swelled up, his blood vessels have burst, his eyes look alien.”
According to Dawn, older boys pressured Tyler into the stunt and fled once he was hurt. Hospital staff were stunned — “They have never seen it before, they are going to make a medical report from it.”
This tragic event reminds parents that children are easily influenced by peer pressure. Tyler’s story stands as a warning about the real dangers behind viral internet challenges.