A 14-year-old boy from Massachusetts had died unexpectedly after eating a spicy tortilla chip, according to his family and school officials.
Harris Wolobah, a Doherty Memorial High School student in Worcester, died on Friday.
Wolobah’s mother, Lois Wolobah, told local news outlets that a fellow student at school gave her son the spicy chip.
He soon began to experience stomach pain and went to the school nurse. The nurse called Wolobah’s mother to pick him up.
After going home, Wolobah felt some relief, but he later lost consciousness while preparing to try out for a basketball team. His brother found him passed out and called 911. Wolobah was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
The Worcester Police Department is investigating Wolobah’s death, but they have not released any further details.
The chip that Wolobah ate was a Carolina Reaper and Scorpion pepper chip made by the company Pacqui. The chips are marketed as a “one chip challenge,” and the company warns that they are not for children or anyone with allergies or sensitivities to spicy food.
The challenge has become popular on social media, with people posting videos of themselves eating the chips and trying to withstand the heat. However, there have been reports of people getting sick after participating in the challenge.
Wolobah’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for his funeral expenses. The page has raised over $22,000 as of Tuesday.
