Injured boy still fighting for life

Police carry out investigations at Taradale Primary School

A young boy found accidentally hanging from a school window by his shirt remains in a critical condition in hospital.

The youngster is fighting for his life in Starship Hospital, an Auckland District Health Board (DHB) spokeswoman said yesterday.

Meanwhile, police investigations were ongoing into the "unfortunate accident," which left the boy struggling to breathe.

Emergency services rushed to Taradale Primary School at 1.15pm last Monday after the boy was found having difficulty breathing. He was injured after he leaped from a window and caught his shirt on something that caused the breathing trouble.

The boy was put in an induced coma and transferred to Starship from Hawke's Bay Regional Hospital that night.

The school had co-operated fully with the police investigation and the Ministry of Education.

Taradale Primary School's board of trustees chairman Steve Alexander said the school was focusing on supporting the family and the wider school community.

Pupils who might have been upset by the incident had been offered specialist support services.

The Ministry of Education's traumatic incident support team had also been supporting the school and helping it return to its normal daily routines.

Staff had been briefed on how students may respond to the traumatic event, and how staff and pupils could get access to additional psychological support if necessary. The school was said to be coping well with the distressing event.