Ohio teen dies after falling off float at Memorial Day parade
A 13-year-old Ohio boy died Monday after falling off a Memorial Day parade float in Green, Ohio.
The Summit County Sheriff's Office confirmed Matthew Schultz's death on Tuesday, saying the seventh-grader fell from the front of a trailer float being hauled by a Ford F-150 and was struck by the trailer's tires around 11:23 a.m. Monday while the float was moving at 5 mph or slower.
There were a total of seven children, ranging in age from 7 to 13, and two adults riding the trailer during the parade.
"Matthew was a fun, loving, Star Wars-obsessed, fruit snack-loving, amazing young man," a GoFundMe page for the Schultz family titled, "Support the Schultz Family After Tragic Loss," reads. "He was the best son and big brother. He was everyone's best friend. The love we had for him is immeasurable."
Donations will "help ease the family's burden of funeral expenses and bills," the GoFundMe states. "This way, they can take more time off work and focus on healing."
Green Fire and EMS were behind the float when the incident occurred. Personnel witnessed Matthew's fall and "immediately responded," the sheriff's office said in a press release.
Matthew was transported to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
North Canton City Schools is offering counseling services to students impacted by the tragedy, according to WKYC.
"The loss of a young life is deeply devastating, and our thoughts and prayers are with Matthew's family, friends, classmates, and teachers during this unimaginable time," North Canton City Schools said in a statement to WKYC. "He was a kind and caring student. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and to everyone affected by this tragedy."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Lord's Prayer better recognised than national anthem, Churchill or Shakespeare'
An extract from the Lord's Prayer was more recognisable to people than part of the British national anthem and one of Shakespeare's most famous works, polling has suggested. The prayer, also known as the Our Father, also appeared better known than a famous line from Star Wars, the words of wartime prime minister Winston Churchill and Liverpool football anthem You'll Never Walk Alone, according to the survey. Of just over 2,000 people across the UK asked last month – in polling commissioned by the Church of England – 80.3% correctly recognised the line 'Give us this day our daily bread' was from the ancient prayer. This came just ahead of Star Wars, with 79.9% recognising the line 'May the force be with you' came from the films. Of all those polled, 89% said they had heard of the Lord's Prayer or the Our Father, with 88% of those who identified themselves as having no religion still having heard of the prayer. When it came to other famous lines from history, 'To be or not to be' from Shakespeare's Hamlet play was recognised by just under three-quarters (73%) of respondents, while fewer than two thirds (63%) correctly matched the lines 'happy and glorious, long to reign over us' as being from Britain's national anthem, God Save The King. Around six in 10 (61%) respondents recognised the line 'Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few' from Churchill's 1940 speech to MPs in Parliament. More than half (58%) recognised 'You'll never walk alone' as being from the song by Gerry and the Pacemakers, and is the adopted anthem for Liverpool football club. Least well-known of the seven extracts from famous works given were the lines 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times' from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, matched correctly by just 39% of people. The findings also showed that 16% of those surveyed said they had not heard of the national anthem lines, while 14% said they had not heard of the line 'You'll never walk alone'. The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said the findings suggest the prayer remains a 'steady guide' and something which continues to 'resonate with people of all faiths and none'. Mr Cottrell is leading a 'tour' of events at churches and cathedrals across the north of England as part of his Faith In The North initiative, with a focus on the prayer. He said: 'These results reflect what we've been hearing across the north of England through our Faith In The North initiative, which invites people to explore the Lord's Prayer. 'Though ancient, its words continue to resonate with people of all faiths and none. 'In a world of shifting cultures and changing circumstances, the Lord's Prayer remains a steady guide – perhaps never more so than now. 'Lines like 'Give us this day our daily bread' speak powerfully to today's challenges, reminding us to seek sufficiency, not excess, and to consider what 'enough' truly means.' The polling comes ahead of the Thy Kingdom Come prayer movement finishing this Pentecost Sunday, with events taking place in churches across the globe. – Pollster Savanta interviewed 2,035 UK respondents online between May 23 and 26 and said data was weighted to be representative of the general public by age, gender, region and ethnicity.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘She always said, 'I'm going to be famous, dad'': Teen dies after viral TikTok ‘dusting' challenge
The parents of a 19-year-old who dreamed of fame and died after trying the TikTok 'dusting' trend are warning others about its deadly risks. Renna O'Rourke and her boyfriend DoorDashed aerosol keyboard cleaner to her parents' Tempe, Arizona, home without her mother's knowledge, Dana O'Rourke told 12 News. The dusting trend, also known as chroming or huffing, involves inhaling common household cleaners to get high for views online. The sensation causes brief euphoria but can cause instant, fatal damage, often due to heart failure, according to the Cleveland Clinic. After inhaling the keyboard cleaner, Renna went into cardiac arrest, spent a week unconscious in the intensive care unit, and then was declared brain-dead. Renna's parents described their late daughter as 'vivacious and caring and loyal.' Her father, Aaron O'Rourke, told 12 News that Renna loved to sing and lit up every room with her smile and laughter. 'She always said, 'I'm going to be famous, dad. Just you watch. I'm going to be famous,' and unfortunately, this is not under the most optimal of circumstances,' Aaron O'Rourke, told the outlet.. Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, the O'Rourke family is now working to honor Renna by spreading the word about the dangers of huffing for teens and parents. 'There's no ID required. It's odorless. It's everything kids look for. They can afford it, they can get it, and it doesn't show in mom and dad's drug test,' Dana O'Rourke told AZ Family about access to the trendy chemicals. She added, 'Don't take your kid's word for it. Dig deep. Search their rooms. Don't trust — and that sounds horrible, but it could save their life.' A GoFundMe started to help the O'Rourke family with hospital bills, burial and therapy costs, and to spread awareness about huffing has surpassed its $5,000 goal and sits at over $9,000 at the time of publication.
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Boats are bursting into flames in South Florida. How common is this?
Last week, two boats in Fort Lauderdale went up in flames. Friday, six boats were charred at a Sunny Isles Beach dock. READ MORE: Boat engulfed in flames ignites several vessels at Sunny Isles dock: fire rescue So, you've got to be wondering: Do Florida boaters have no clue how to operate a vessel or is this just a random twist of fate? As it turns out, boats going up in flames is not uncommon in a state that is saturated with boats, statistics show. While the number of boat fires are trending higher in Fort Lauderdale — the site of another explosion in December, killing a boater who was fueling up at Lauderdale Marina — statewide, they've actually decreased over the past five years, according to vessel accidents' data compiled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. READ MORE: Boat explodes off the beach in Fort Lauderdale, fire-rescue says So far, in Fort Lauderdale this year, there have been six boat fires, the city's Fire Rescue department said. The department's spokesman, Frank Guzman, noted that 'not all these vessel fires had significant damage.' Last year, there were 15 boat fires in Fort Lauderdale, up from four in 2021, with 11 each in 2022 and 2023, Guzman said. Florida has more registered boats than any other state Florida averages about 35 boat fires a year, according to the FWC, which notes in its latest annual report that the state also has more than 1 million registered vessels for recreation, making it 'the undisputed 'Boating Capital of the World.'' (Michigan has the second-most boat owners.) Over the past five years, boat fire numbers have fluctuated in the state, with 41 in 2020, 37 in 2021, 33 in 2022, and 30 in 2023, the latest data available, the FWC said. Out of the 685 reportable boat accidents in Florida in 2024, 33 stemmed from fires, 17 involving fuel and 16 caused by other factors. The majority of boat accidents in Florida — 209 — involved vessels hitting fixed objects, according to the FWC. Gas vapors likely cause of Sea Ray explosion Fuel was likely the cause of the explosion of a 39-foot Sea Ray cabin cruiser in the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale on Memorial Day. Out of the 15 people on board when a fireball shot out from inside the boat, 11 were hospitalized. The operator of the boat, 29-year-old Joshua Fifi, died days later at the hospital. READ MORE: Father of four dies after Memorial Day boat explosion off Fort Lauderdale Fire officials said the blast was likely caused by fuel vapors that ignited a flash fire when the boat was started. The source of the vapors and ignition is under investigation. It was like 'a fireball,' Guzman said. Boat safety tips Boating experts stress that boaters must open their engine compartment and turn on the blower fan before starting a boat. The fan, which removes gas fumes or any accumulated gasoline, should be run for three to five minutes. Boats have ventilation switches on the dash panel that should be switched on every time a boat is used. And, they add, boaters should take a sniff test and smell for any signs of gas vapors before starting a boat. READ MORE: Two boats exploded off Fort Lauderdale within 5 months. Tips to avoid a similar fate The FWC is still investigating the cause of a 30-foot boat that went up in flames just off the beach in Fort Lauderdale two days later. There was one person on board, who jumped off the vessel and swam to shore before paramedics took him to the hospital to be treated for injuries. There have also been damaging boat fires in other parts of South Florida, the most recent a blaze that ended up burning up six boats, including a 90-foot vessel, at a Sunny Isles Beach condominium dock early Friday morning. No one was injured in the fire, which was triggered by one boat going up in flames and the blaze spreading to five other boats. Authorities are investigating. Boat fire off Jupiter The same day the Sea Ray exploded in Fort Lauderdale, a 48-foot fishing yacht caught fire off Jupiter Inlet. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Three people were on board the vessel when it caught fire, the Coast Guard said in a statement on X. They were rescued by other boaters in the area who responded to the scene. No one was hurt, according to the Coast Guard. And, a May 14 fire at a Tavernier boat yard in the Florida Keys badly damaged several vessels that were dry docked, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
