Girl breaks her neck attempting TikTok viral challenge with friends

A teenager has warned others after she broke her neck while attempting an online challenge. It comes as viral crazes are becoming increasingly popular with young people, with experts revealing children as young as six watching dangerous videos.

One of these is the “skull breaker” challenge, which Sarah Platt, then aged 16, tried when she was encouraged by her friends at a hockey tournament. It involves two people kicking your legs from underneath you so you land on your head, The Mirror reports.

Although Sarah’s friends weren’t hurt in the challenge, she had no feeling in her right leg after she landed on her neck. The schoolgirl had to be rushed to hospital on a spinal board.

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She said: “It was just a trend that was around at the time. We thought making the TikTok would be fun and funny but I didn’t really want to take part because I just didn’t want to get hurt. But it was a little bit of peer pressure.”

At hospital, medics found she had broken three bones in her neck and her T5 vertebrae. Now 18 and thankfully back on her feet, Sarah still suffers complications developing postural tachycardia syndrome, which causes her to faint.

Urging others not to try the challenges, she added: “I want to try and make people more aware not to do it, because it could end in someone getting hurt.”

Mum Jane Platt, from Banbury, added: “We were one of the lucky ones. She’s alive and walking – thank god – but we are obviously having to deal with something else as a result.”

Online safety expert John Staines, a former police officer, speaks to children as young as six who have seen dangerous challenges online.