# 12 yr. old dead



## imdaman1 (Nov 21, 2005)

O.C. Boy Is Killed by 185-Pound Barbell 
Relatives find the 12-year-old pinned under the equipment, his air supply cut off.

By Susana Enriquez, Times Staff Writer


Elijah Brown wanted to be a pro football player, so the 12-year-old would lift weights every so often to bulk up his 5-foot-3, 130-pound body.

On Thursday, after playing catch with his grandfather and uncle, Elijah went into the garage of his Huntington Beach home to lift about 5 p.m. When the men checked on him 10 minutes later, they found Elijah with a 185-pound barbell pinning him to the bench, police said. 

The men lifted the weight from the boy and performed CPR until paramedics came, but Elijah died at Huntington Beach Hospital at 5:41 p.m. The barbell had cut off his air supply, the coroner said.

"This wasn't supposed to happen to him," said Thomas Brown, Elijah's father, his eyes welling up with tears as he stood outside a neighbor's house. "He had a really bright future ahead of him."

Brown, who said he allowed Elijah to lift weights periodically, said his son mostly used dumbbells or the 45-pound barbell, without adding weight to it.

The Smith Machine that Elijah used has a mechanism that keeps the bar balanced between two metal poles with a safety latch that can be engaged at different heights.

"He knew how to do it by himself," Brown said, adding that he had stressed the importance of having a spotter in case he couldn't handle the weight. "It was a freak accident."

The father, 32, described Elijah as a fun-loving boy and straight-A student who was active in sports and at church.

He had studied karate since he was 3 and earned his brown belt a couple of months ago, he said.

Elijah had also played football with the Huntington Beach Dolphins, an Orange County junior all-American football team, since the age of 6, Brown said.

"His dream was to go on to play professional football and play for the Denver Broncos," Brown said.

Elijah wore the number 33 on his football jersey, the number of his favorite player, retired Bronco running back Terrell Davis.

"There's no one he wanted to be more like than his father and Terrell Davis," said Dallas Kruse, the family's pastor, who was also Elijah's private running coach.

The seventh-grader at Bethany Christian Academy in Westminster had just received an award Tuesday for excellence in math, his father said.

Elijah also enjoyed fishing, snowboarding and playing his keyboard and drums.

On Friday, family and friends gathered at the Browns' single-story house at the end of a cul-de-sac. They prayed and kept a vigil, Kruse said.

"Elijah was just an amazing child," he said, adding that he hoped the accident would teach other kids to be careful with weights.

Elijah is also survived by his mother, Lisanne, 38, 7-year-old sister and 21-year-old stepsister.


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## Testosperone (Nov 21, 2005)

damn thats sad..12 years old pursuing his dream, man thats insiration..whata sad story..such a young age..he hasnt even began to live yet..things like this make me question my god


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## Andrew (Nov 21, 2005)

*danger lurks everywhere*

That's a good example that kids need to be supervised.  I wouldn't work out alone and I certainly wouldn't let my kids do it.  BTW, I was thinking 12 is a bit young for weight lifting.  Isn't 14 the standard starting time?


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## wolfyEVH (Nov 21, 2005)

Andrew said:
			
		

> That's a good example that kids need to be supervised.  I wouldn't work out alone and I certainly wouldn't let my kids do it.  BTW, I was thinking 12 is a bit young for weight lifting.  Isn't 14 the standard starting time?



i agree...12 is way too young


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## tee (Nov 21, 2005)

thats terrible. I lifted weights since I was 10 years old. I always had supervision at that age though. I remember way back when I took Karate and had to pull a barbell off the throat of a guy in the dojo's gym. He was turning purple when I got to him. Lifting can be dangerous. When I lift alone, I never use collars on the bar. That way I could dump the weight if I ever got stuck. That wont work on a Smith machine though


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## dump truck (Nov 21, 2005)

That is very sad. they will want to ban weights now.


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## max lift (Nov 21, 2005)

very sad ,
 I am with tee on the no collars idea even when I do have a spot,


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## mrxplosive (Nov 21, 2005)

I lift alone at home all the time. But I use a power rack for all bar movements and set the stops accordingly. I'm more than willing to sacrifice a couple of inches on the range of motion to ensure that I won't get pinned if shoulders give, grip slips, or whatever.


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## STEELADDICTION (Nov 21, 2005)

Very sad.  I agree, 12 is just to young.  Especially using free weights.  It seems to me that kids start everything earlier now a days.  To much stress on their minds and bodies.


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## Macstanton (Nov 21, 2005)

I agree that this is horribly sad, but it's amazing that a 12 year old wanted to start so early.  kinda inspirational......


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## DragonRider (Nov 22, 2005)

Testosperone said:
			
		

> damn thats sad..12 years old pursuing his dream, man thats insiration..whata sad story..such a young age..he hasnt even began to live yet..things like this make me question my god


I do to, but not over things like this.

God gives us common sense. It's our fault if we refuse to use it.

I wouldn't let my 12 year old touch weights without supervision. We as a generation trust our kids with too much nowadays. I have been stuck before and things can get bad very quick if you panic.


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## smikey211 (Nov 24, 2005)

It said he normally only uses the 45lb barbell... THe smith MAchine barbell is only like 15lbs.... And why is a KIS that normally only lifts 45lbs trying to pick up 185 being 12yrs old @ 130lbs? This accident falls to the coach/parent.... He was not taught right.... 


And Tee mentioned his tactic about 6 months ago when the same thing happened to that Pro Football player (son found him with like 240 on his neck) I think the got had a heart flutter or something ...

I have been lifting without collars since.... I just feel safer knowing I can dump it if ever needed....


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## dr woo (Dec 19, 2005)

shit that is freaky.,
my son Jake is 12 studies karate and plays the drums, hes an A student who excells in math he could be this kid. He has been hounding me to let him use our gym without me, we also have a smith machine. i have not allowed him to use it maybee after reading this thread he will understand why.
Thats a sad story, i cant imagine how the parents must feal.


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## diesel9 (Dec 20, 2005)

Testosperone said:
			
		

> things like this make me question my god



Question your god?  Why is that?  While it is sad in a temporal sense i agree, but maybe God needed some new talent on his little league footbal team (the angels)  .  Maybe the kid will be a star yet..


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