Boy Mimicking Cartoon in Sandbox Stunt Dies

March 11, 2008— -- A 10-year-old Washington state boy died Monday of injuries he suffered Saturday when he buried his head in a sandbox during a play date while mimicking a favorite cartoon character.

A spokeswoman for the Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center confirmed that Codey Porter died yesterday afternoon. He had been in critical condition since Saturday, when he stopped breathing in the sand box in a family friend's backyard.

"We are sad to inform you that Codey Porter passed away today at approximately 3:35 p.m," the family said in a statement released by the hospital. "He passed peacefully, with his family at his side. We appreciate all the support and prayers that we have received."

Family members also announced that they would donate Codey's organs so that some other family may benefit.

Codey, a fifth-grader, reportedly was playing among a group of children near his age late Saturday morning when the group came up with an idea inspired by the popular anime-style character "Naruto." According to the official U.S. Naruto Web site, the character is a 13-year-old aspiring ninja who likes to play pranks more than he likes to train.

The mimicry involved Codey's playmates burying him head-first in a one-foot-deep sandbox, Joshua Quantrille told ABC News' Seattle affiliate KOMO-TV. Quantrille, 30, is Codey Porter's half-brother and his three sons were among the boys playing in the sand box Saturday with Codey.

Quantrille said the other children initially thought Codey, buried from his head to the top of his chest, was joking when he started to thrash around. By the time they got help, the boy had already stopped breathing. Adults at the house tried unsuccessfully to administer CPR before emergency medical personnel arrived.

The boy was transported first to Providence Everett Medical Center and was later flown to Seattle, where he remained in critical condition at the children's hospital until his death Monday.

Five children interviewed by investigators told the Swohomish County Sheriff's Office that the burial idea came from the popular cartoon. Sheriff's office detectives, who also spoke with the parents of the children, ruled Codey Porter's death a "tragic accident."