A six-year-old girl’s near-fatal incident with a hat cord has caused a ban of hats and jumpers with cords in South Australian schools.
9News reports the girl, Marley Oster, was injured after her school hat got caught in a spiral slide and her hat cord dug into her neck.
Luckily, eight-year-old Madison Fleming rushed to her side and unclipped the hat, but she was left with scarring on her neck.
The images of her injury have circulated social media and been aired on the news, causing schools to take action and enact a ban.
“She’s got horrific scars across her neck,” Marley’s mother Gail told 9News.
“She’s been having nightmares since it happened.”
Since the incident occurred last Thursday – the second hat cord related injury in the past two weeks – Australia’s Department for Education and Child Development has issued a Hazard Alert.
“Ensure hats and clothing do not have chin straps, cords, drawstrings, toggles and hooded clothing has no draw strings,” the alert read.
Parents who want more information have been advised to contact their school principals.
