Students lose fingers in tug-of-war

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EL MONTE, Calif., Feb. 5 (UPI) -- A game of tug-of-war at a California high school turned tragic when the fingers of two students were severed by the rope, officials said.

Students were participating in the game Monday as part of South El Monte High School's homecoming spirit week festivities, El Monte Union High School District Assistant Superintendent Edward Zuniga told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

The names and ages of the two victims, a female senior soccer player and a male football player, were not reported. The number of fingers severed in the activity was also not reported.

"Fingers [were] amputated during some type of tug-of-war," said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Miguel Garcia. "They were transported by ambulance to a trauma center."

Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center spokeswoman Rosa Sacca said both teens were stable Monday.

"They were getting ready to be taken to the operating room to try to re-attach the fingers," she said.

Zuniga said the school district is reviewing the activity with the possibility of removing it from spirit week festivities in the future.