A young mother tragically lost her life after inhaling helium at her daughter’s second birthday party.
Faith Waterman Batistich, 20, from a small town near Tauranga, New Zealand, passed away instantly in September 2022.
The horrific tragedy took place after the partygoers began inhaling helium from the ‘Parties for everyone’ balloon kit to make their voices sound high-pitched, NZ Herald reported.
Someone then suggested trying the gas directly from the canister – an idea that the mom hesitantly went along with after some convincing.
Faith’s twin sister, Eden Waterman, recalled the heartbreaking moment that followed. “It went too fast and kind of shot her in the back of the neck,” she told the outlet.
Eden shared her late sister’s final words which were: “Oh s**t” before she “dropped,” adding: “I was just, like, in shock. I kind of just froze and it was like, ‘What the f**k, what am I seeing? Like, is this for real?’ I thought she was putting it on at the start.”
As Faith collapsed, partygoers rushed to perform CPR, desperately trying to revive her. The family continued their efforts for 45 minutes before paramedics arrived.
But Eden said her sister “went blue instantly,” and despite everything emergency responders did, “nothing got her back”.
Faith died quickly from asphyxiation, caused by the lack of oxygen after helium displaced the air in her lungs, according to medical reports.
A recent inquest into Faith’s passing found that she was “unaware of the inherent dangers of inhaling helium”.
Coroner Louella Dunn ruled that the late woman’s death was “unexpected and tragic” and stressed that many people are dangerously unaware of the risks of inhaling helium.
“It can be considered funny and entertaining in a party environment to inhale helium which produces a high-pitched noise similar to that of a chipmunk,” she said.
“This is a known party pleaser. Many people are, however, unaware of the potential threats of inhaling helium in such a situation. What may seem like harmless fun is potentially life-threatening,” she added.
The dangers are even greater when inhaling pressurized helium directly from a cylinder, as the force of the gas can flood the lungs rapidly and cause instant suffocation.
Pictures of the helium canister showed warning signs, which read: “Do not place nozzle in mouth or nose for any reason. Doing so can damage lungs and other body parts which can result in serious personal injury or death.
“Do not inhale helium. Use only in well-ventilated area. Never use in closed spaces. Helium reduces oxygen available for breathing. Inhaling helium can result in serious personal injury or death,” the other sign read.
Coroner Dunn noted that the warning was too small and buried in the fine print. “I am concerned that the warning sign advising of the dangers of helium inhalation is not given sufficient prominence on the canister,” she stated.
She recommended that the caution sign be placed in bold at the top of the canister, with a clear and direct message: “Do not inhale – risk of serious personal injury or death.”
Our thoughts are with Faith’s loved ones at this time.
