A coroner has warned about the dangers of magnetic balls after an eight-year-old boy from Harrogate died after swallowing ten of the toy spheres. Rhys Millum had complained of stomach pains two days before his death on 2 October 2022. His mother took him to hospital that morning and Rhys was diagnosed with a suspected infection and sent home.
At an inquest at Northallerton Coroner's Court, coroner Catherine Cundy gave a conclusion of misadventure, meaning a deliberate action caused an unintended death. She said: 'I hope the tragedy of Rhys's death will highlight the danger of such objects, particularly to young children who may swallow them.'
Rhys's mother Andrea took him to A&E on Friday 30 September after he was 'doubled over and screaming'. He was examined by a doctor who ruled out appendicitis and a perforated bowel, and was discharged with a diagnosis of mesenteric adenitis. His father Richard Millum then picked him up for the weekend. By Sunday, Rhys struggled to keep down liquids, told his father he 'couldn't see' and lost consciousness. Mr Millum administered CPR and paramedics attempted resuscitation for almost an hour before Rhys was pronounced dead.
A post-mortem examination found that Rhys had ingested ten magnetic toys about 3mm in diameter, which had joined together and obstructed and perforated his bowel, causing his death. The toys had been given to Rhys and his brother by a family friend and Rhys had played with them for about a month. Neither parent had seen him put the toys in his mouth.
Police investigated the possibility that Rhys was participating in a TikTok piercing challenge involving magnetic balls, but found no evidence. The forensic pathologist said it was difficult to know exactly when Rhys ingested the objects, but gave a timeline of 'days rather than hours'.
