Utah boy dies after falling off school slide

STANSBURY PARK, Utah — An 8-year-old boy has died from his injuries after falling off a slide at a Tooele County elementary school.

The boy was identified as Dallin Cunningham by Katrina Orr, a friend close to his family. She said he died Tuesday, surrounded by family and close friends.

“The parents don’t blame anybody,” Orr said. “It was a complete freak accident. It’s just one of those things where there’s nothing that can explain what happened. ”

The tragedy struck at 10:17 a.m. Monday at Rose Springs Elementary School.

Boy hospitalized after falling from slide at Rose Springs Elementary

Sgt. David Bleazard with the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office told KSL the boy fell off the twisty slide about halfway down it.

When recess monitors responded to the area, Bleazard said the boy was unconscious and breathing, but then at one point, his breathing stopped. CPR was administered before the boy was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

Rose Springs Elementary School parent Camey Sant said her heart goes out to the Cunningham family.

“I have a third grader and so do many others, and our hearts are just broken for their family,” Sant said.

Sant said she doesn’t know the family personally, but she wanted to help them. She said she has collected money through Venmo, as well as other donations that she will give to the Cunninghams.

“Most of these people don’t know this family either and everyone just doesn’t want them to feel that pain,” Sant said. “Of course they’re going through a lot, but we want to help ease their pain as much as possible.”

Orr said she will remember Dallin for his energy and his knack for board games.

“He was a very intelligent kid. He was putting together a 3D Harry Potter puzzle that’s meant for 12 year olds and he had figured it out,” Orr said. “He had just gotten through about a half of it. And his dad was just like, ‘I can’t put it away.’ And I told his dad, ‘You don’t have to put anything away.'”

People close to Dallin said even though he lived for only eight years, he had enough energy to fill multiple lifetimes.

“He would love to come up and cuddle with you and come grab your face and make some silly joke,” Orr said.

She said he loved to tease his three older sisters, but it was all out of love. His family said he was the most outgoing of his clan.

“He was not a stranger to anybody. He was your best friend,” Orr said.

Dallin’s father, Tim, called his son “the perfect, imperfect 8-year-old little boy.” In a statement he said, “We will miss his smiles, jokes and his amazing mind…we know that we will be together again.”

A GoFundMe page* has been set up for the family.

“I wanted to do this because they would never ask for anything themselves and no parent should have to bury their child,” she said.

A statement from a Tooele County School District spokesperson was released Wednesday:

We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the student’s passing following the accident on the playground at Rose Springs Elementary. Our hearts go out to the family and friends during this difficult time.

The family has requested to please give them time before calling or sending messages. We have counselors available for students, faculty, and staff who need someone to talk to.

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*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.