14 DAY TRIAL // Two teenagers have severed their fingers while playing Tug-of-War during Spirit Week at South El Monte High School outside of Los Angeles, reports say.
According to The Post Game, Edith Rodriguez and Pablo Ocegueda had their fingers tangled in the rope when it snapped. The force of the rope presumably led to several of their fingers being torn off.
Both teens are currently in stable condition, writes the San Francisco Gate. They were transported to the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center to have their fingers reattached.
While we know that both surgeries went on for a few hours, there is no indication about whether or not they regained use of their fingers.
Rodriguez and Ocegueda are both athletic, one playing soccer while the other is a football player. They both lost 4 fingers from each hand in the incident, and Ocegueda also suffered the loss of her right thumb.
"They were just both in shock, staring at their hands. They didn't know what to do," describes South El Monte freshman Jennifer Jiminez.
Superintendent of El Monte Union High School District Nick J. Salerno states that the school has organized Tug-of-War games for years, with no accidents.
"I've never heard of anything like this happening. It's unbelievable to me, it's shocking," he says.
All Spirit Week physical activities are now under review by local authorities. Games "that could even possibly have a risk of going wrong" are likely to be canceled.
Dr. Robert Glatter of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York warns about the dangers of tying limbs and fingers with rope.
"Loops, knots and other types of 'holdings' - used to wrap the rope around hands or any part of the body is extremely dangerous -- and can place individuals at risk for finger and hand injuries, including traumatic amputations and joint dislocations," he writes.