CHARLOTTENBERG, Sweden, April 24 (UPI) -- Swedish police Sunday were investigating the hanging of an 11-year-old boy who survived by standing on his tiptoes to breathe.
Police told the Swedish news agency TT the incident happened Friday night at a camping site in Hagansset in Charlottenberg in Varmland County in western Sweden.
Police said a suspect or suspects were being sought for the attempted homicide.
Investigators said the boy told them someone came up from behind him, as he was playing alone at the campsite, where he lives with his parents. After putting the noose over his head, the rope was put over a tree branch and pulled tight, forcing him to stand on his tiptoes to get air.
"A very unpleasant story," said Bjarne Andersson of the Varmland County police. "Suddenly someone come from behind, put a noose around his neck and pulled him up into a tree, but he doesn't know how many people it was."
After struggling to breathe for about 10 minutes, the boy was freed by someone passing by, police said.
The boy's neck was swollen and he was being examined at a hospital Sunday.
