'I found myself doing CPR on him:' Dad's warning about deadly challenge
BELLEVUE, Wash. - It took about two years for a Washington dad to finally open up about the most traumatic and shocking event of his life. Jeff Van Lith is sharing his pain in hopes of sparing other families.
There is a sense of serenity at Lewis Creek Park, sometimes interrupted by welcome visitors.
"Deer come down, walk behind the bench, while I'm here," Van Lith said.
Many come to Bellevue’s Lewis Creek Park to feel active, but Van Lith is here to feel something else.
"He would run up this hill, run back down the other side and beat everyone taking the path, it’s just a place to come to talk to him," Van Lith said.
His beloved son, Ethan Burke Van Lith, was found unresponsive in 2020.
"I found myself doing CPR on him while his brother had to call 911. I was in absolute shock," Van Lith said.
On the day of his death, Ethan was Ethan. He was joyful, positive and fun. He asked his dad to go out on the water that day.
"I said, ‘sure, I will be home in two hours,’" Van Lith said.
Within those two hours, Van Lith says his son tried the choking game, also known as the blackout challenge.
"He chose to try something he heard about and expected to walk out, 10 minutes later, he just didn’t," Van Lith said.
At first glance, it could look like a suicide: but it’s not.
It’s a challenge that’s been around for many years, but it has resurfaced on social media, luring kids to do dangerous acts that they don’t even realize could kill them.
Van Lith had never heard about the choking game, but he tells FOX 13 that the detectives who showed up did.
"The first thing they said was ‘this is not what you think it was,’" Van Lith said.
He now belongs to a private group with dozens of parents across the world who say they’ve lost children to the choking game.
"Whether it’s the choking game or the Benadryl challenge or any of these things you see on social media, something has to be done about it," Van Lith said.
Van Lith and other parents are passionately fighting for Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act. KOSA would require social media companies to give parents more control.
Algorithms would have to change, so kids are not fed harmful content.
Social media companies would be held accountable for what they create with hefty fines for breaking rules.
KOSA was introduced in Congress last year, but it failed to pass.
Supporters say the bill is being changed and expected to be reintroduced again.
"Their minds aren’t developed enough to make a good conscious decision on something life-threatening," Van Lith said.
He says if it can happen to Ethan, it can happen to any child.
"Because he was such a sound kid, smart, happy and, you know, we were parents who talked to him about everything, everything we knew. I mean my kids are number 1, you can’t teach them what you don’t know, I wish somebody would have been there to tell me about this," Van Lith said.
One bad decision took away a young boy who was full of life and love. A straight-A student who also excelled in sports.
Van Lith is encouraging all parents to talk to their kids about online dangers and the different challenges out there on social media.
Come June, marking Ethan’s birthday, Van Lith will be back on the little hill.
A special bench sits on that hill with a heartwarming message dedicated to Ethan who is forever 13.
"A beautiful boy we will always be the light of our lives," Van Lith said.
Van Lith has set up a GoFundMeto raise money for Erik’s Cause, a non-profit dedicated to spreading awareness and providing effective education about the dangers of deadly viral social media challenges.
The organization is pushing for the KOSA Act. Erik’s cause also works to fight off viral and deadly online challenges.