TWIN FALLS -- The parents of a young boy from Twin Falls are mourning his loss.
They say their son died on Memorial Day from a dangerous game called the choking game.
Part of their grief is eased by the idea that by speaking publicly about it, they may help save other lives.
The parents of 12-year-old Skyler Smith say their son loved life, his family and sports.
They say the way he died, a game where kids try to pass out by choking themselves or others, is one every adult should be aware of.
"It's empty. It's quiet," said Tasha Smith.
Joel and Tasha Smith miss the laughter of their son Skyler.
This Memorial Day he was upset with his parents. They were giving up the family's puppies and they refused to let him ride his bike outside when storms were coming in.
"He kind of started throwing a little bit of a fit and I said, ‘OK, go to your room and just play around in your room for awhile.’ I took a nap because I had to work that night and when I woke up the sun was shining so I went down to let him know that he could go outside and ride his bike, and I found him hanging from his bed," said Tasha Smith.
"I took him down from where he was hanging. Started doing CPR, I screamed. My husband came down, called 911. They came in, took over. I already knew he was gone," said Tasha Smith.
They say Skyler had choked to death from a sheet tied around his neck.
They also say investigators told them it wasn't suicide, rather an accidental hanging from the choking game. Usually played by a couple kids to get a drug free high, Skyler played it himself.
"They're using dog leashes, belts, ropes, anything, sheets, anything they can find to cut the circulation off to get this euphoric high," said Joel Smith.
Joel and Tasha Smith are now on a mission to tell others this game is one you do not want to play.
"God took our son so we could go get this message out," said Tasha Smith.
"Next fall, we're going to be going to schools with the Twin Falls Sheriff's Department and hopefully the D.A.R.E. program to educate students and teachers and parents on the dangers of this game and what to look for," said Joel Smith.
"If you ended up in the ER, you're a lucky one. You don't always end up in the ER. You end up in the morgue," Tasha Smith said.
The Twin Falls County Coroner's office says it could not clearly conclude if Skyler's death was an accidental death or suicide.
We also left messages with the Twin Falls city police department but did not hear back.
The CDC calls the choking game a public health threat.
According to its research, more than 80 kids and teens died from the choking game between 1995 and 2008.
For more information on the choking game and signs parents can look for, click here.
