Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Death By Popcorn

This is topic Death By Popcorn in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 08-17-2004, 09:21 AM:

Tot chokes at Movies www.NYPost.com

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 08-17-2004, 09:39 AM:

So very sad. [Frown]

I'll bet theatres will have to start putting warning lables on popcorn containers. "Choking Hazard: Not intended for small children."

Boy, 3, chokes to death on popcorn at movie

quote:
VALLEY STREAM, New York (AP) -- A 3-year-old boy choked to death while eating popcorn at a movie theater.

Deontea Riley, of New York City, was at the Sunrise Multiplex Cinemas in Long Island's Valley Stream watching "Alien vs. Predator" with his parents and older brother when he began to choke shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday, Nassau County police said.

The family all had been eating from a small tub of popcorn when Elaine McIntosh, the boy's mother, saw that her youngest son was choking.

His parents rushed him out of the theater where they performed the Heimlich maneuver without success.

"I was trying everything," his father, Eddie Riley, told the Daily News in Tuesday's editions. "I was trying to put my finger down his throat. I didn't feel anything."

Police arrived shortly afterward and tried to clear the boy's mouth and perform CPR, but he was pronounced dead at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre.

His body was taken to the Nassau University Medical Center morgue pending a medical examiner's report

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 08-17-2004, 09:54 AM:

Very sad indeed. [Frown]

My 3 year old cant get enough popcorn. Luckily my wife knows CPR. [Frown]

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-17-2004, 01:14 PM:

Let's see if they sue.

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 08-17-2004, 02:11 PM:

A 3 year old watching Alien V Predator??!!

Posted by Ray Faultless (Member # 903) on 08-17-2004, 04:31 PM:

This is the same cinema that had deaths after a shootout one Christmas evening on opening day of Godfather 3.

Posted by John T. Hendrickson, Jr (Member # 849) on 08-17-2004, 05:57 PM:

Steve Kraus wrote:

"Let's see if they sue."

No laughing matter, and I'm sure Steve did not intend it that way. The repercussions could be enormous. Think about what it would do to insurance premiums for theatre owners if one were to be held liable.

Perhaps the best thing that theatre could do would be to settle and have all parties agree not to disclose the terms of the settlement.

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 08-17-2004, 07:39 PM:

I'm sure that tort laws and implied laws of merchantibility will be grossly overlooked upon any judgement rendered.

Damn "free giving' judicial system. "denotes the use of alternate word of much disliked political party'.

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 08-18-2004, 02:24 PM:

The Heimlich maneuver can be very effective if applied immediately and correctly. Perhaps the delay in administering it, or the father's lack of skill was at fault here.

In New York City all places serving food are required to display a choking hazard first-aid poster showing ways of administering the maneuver. I've seen it even in Chinese take-out shops.

I believe such information should also be posted at movie theatre concessions, and that a reliable person trained and qualified to administer CPR be scheduled on each shift of theatre personnel. It shouldn't be hard to find employees also knowledgeable in general first aid, since courses are routinely taught in high schools, Y's, etc.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-18-2004, 02:53 PM:

Right. Definitely not a laughing matter. There is a general attitude that when something bad happens someone must pay up. Whether by settlement or suit any money changing hands in this case may set a bad precedent.

Posted by Andrew Shingleton (Member # 2257) on 08-18-2004, 05:19 PM:

As sad and unfortunate as this is, I see no grounds for legal action. Virtually every theatre sells popcorn, and I highly doubt the popcorn that choked the child was a specific product of this theatre - specific to the point that it can be proved that it wouldn't have happened with another theatre's popcorn. Same can most likely be said for the brand of popcorn - I'm sure it's sold in a bunch of places that haven't choked anyone. Now, if there were a string of a few chokings in a short period of time then that's another matter, but this looks like an isolated freak incident devoid of any negligance on the part of the theatre or product manufacturer.

But I don't mean to be heartless - I feel great sympathy for the child's family, and I'm merely being hypothetical as they haven't actually taken legal action.

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 08-19-2004, 02:35 AM:

quote: Gerard S. Cohen
a reliable person trained and qualified to administer CPR be scheduled on each shift of theatre personnel.

and paid accordingly? not likely. most theaters don't have a trained and qualified person to deal with routine presentation problems, and that's the business they're in.

carl

Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 08-19-2004, 10:09 AM:

All tragedy aside....

[Confused]

Why indeed bring a 3 year old to Alien Vs. Predator?!?!

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-22-2004, 04:08 PM:

Gracia and Dick both expressed my first thought. What the hell's a 3 yr. old doing in a PG-13 rated movie?! And brought in by the parents!! My God, this is what the world's coming to!

The movie probably scared him and that's why he choked.

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 08-22-2004, 06:33 PM:

Seeing thousands of people come through the doors a week.. Little ones (under 5) being brought in to "PG-13" and "R" films have become a common occurance, especially in Urban Theatre locations. If the theatre company doesn't have a policy in place about this - they bring them into the midnight shows too!!

What has the world come to... Indeed......

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 08-22-2004, 07:22 PM:

When I was four years old I choked on popcorn at a century theater to the point where I was actually blue and unconcious. It took the skill of my mother, a licensed RN to clear my throat and revive me.

It is rather easy for popcorn to get trapped in a young child. The opening to the esophogus (sic) is very small, and is easily blocked by dry popcorn eaten in large quantities and not properly chewed up by eager young children.

My parents did not sue the theater because thier popcorn was dry, they told me I learned my lesson and if I intend to live to be five I would slow down my chewing.

I learned. Here I am...

It is sad about this kid. It is possible that popcorn that is older, and more stale, or perhaps drier, using less oil than they should in the cooking process, can contribute to choking. Always butter up those popcorns for the kids, then they never choke on em. Problem is, they wipe thier little grubby hands all over the damned place....

Ban children from the movie theater. I for once would love to see finding nemo without any damned kids nearby..

YEAH

ciao

Dave

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 08-22-2004, 10:21 PM:

While I agree with the questionability of bringing a three-year-old in to see AVP, that isn't really the point. I'd bet the popcorn that theatre sold for "Nemo" was pretty much the same stuff.

When I was an EMT on the local fire department, I responded to a call where a young boy was choking on a small piece of hot dog. Nothing we tried would get it out. Fortunately, the paramedics arrived in time to remove it... using tools our certifications wouldn't let us touch.

Granted, if I had the stuff, I probably would have used it anyway... but we just didn't carry around the equipment that the 'medics had.

In any case... the point is that given the right conditions, a youngster can choke on just about anything.

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 08-23-2004, 03:15 AM:

Off topic I know but this is why I prefer the UK film classification and legislation system to the to the MPAA advisory .