So. Cal. tug-of-war turns gruesome for two

Updated 3:25 p.m. ET

SOUTH EL MONTE, Calif. A teenage boy and girl are in stable condition after they had fingers torn off during a game of tug-of-war at their Southern California high school, CBS Los Angeles reports.

The school superintendent doctors tried to reattach the fingers belonging to two South El Monte High School students last night, but it is unclear if they were successful.

Sheriff's Sgt. Jorge Marchena told The Associated Press the girl lost three fingers on one hand and two on another, while the boy lost four fingers from one hand.

The victims were identified by classmates as Edith Rodriguez and Pablo Ocegueda, both under 18, according to CBS Los Angeles. They were participating in a tug-of-war game during homecoming celebrations when their fingers were severed.

"They wrapped the rope around their hands and somehow the rope when on to snap, I guess it created some extra tension and caused the injuries," Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Brian Riley told KNX 1070.

Students "cheered at first because they thought it was funny that the rope broke, but then they realized what really happened," freshman Allene Garcia said.

Similar injuries have occurred elsewhere.

In 2008, an 8-year-old girl nearly lost four fingers when her hand got tangled in a rope during a tug-of-war in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The fingers remained attached by tendons and were reattached.

In 2007, two students at a high school in Parker, Colorado, had their right hands partially severed during a tug-of-war at a pep rally.

In 1997, two men had their left arms torn off when a rope snapped during a tug-of-war in Taiwan that involved some 1,600 participants. Doctors managed to reattach the limbs.

[corbolavirus]

Tugs of war maim and kill. Bush should have challenged Saddam to a tug of war rather than lying as a fool and invading.

[thinkaboutit13]

Really? Let it go.

[CPTALLEN]

no, don't let it go. that ****** should be never be forgotten. Americans already have short term/long term memory problem with the 24/7/365 cable and web to distract them so it is necessary that we constantly and vigilantly remind ourselves of what can happen when we elect an idiot/moron to two consecutive terms. if we don't learn from our past mistakes we will repeat them.

[sepa2]

With artificial lifestyle surrrounded by tech gagdets people are fast loosing what is called natural instinct

[rwsmith29456]

Even if the rope had not snapped people should not wrap the rope around their hands.

[Yutaka-Uno]

In Japan, a guy lost a forearm and a hand in a tug of war. He, too, wrapped the rope around his arm. I thought how stupid at the time, but people do the same thing in other countries. Isn't it obvious that you'll get hurt?

[a47percenter]

OUCH! Time to outlaw tug-of-wars.

[cpmp08]

First it is no more dodge-ball, now it's going to be no more tug-a-war, great let's all get back to the shoot'em up, beat'em up video games

[margieboy]

What I know from horses is never wrap any kind of rope around any part of your body that you don't want to lose. Ropes should be held, not wrapped.

[greennnnnn-2009]

Uh oh, no more tug of war for any high schools from this point forward.

[zxcvbob]

I see a couple of folks have beat me to it, but I'll say it anyway. NEVER use a nylon rope for tug-of-war. The rope should be hemp or sisal or some other natural fiber than doesn't stretch.

[marine1957]

The photo in the article shows a hemp rope, but I'll bet a week's pay that the rope they used was nylon, a material that stretches a little like rubber and snaps back when it breaks, similar to a rubber band, taking off the fingers that are holding it.
If each person can pull 100 lbs and the rope is rated for 400 lbs, then 4 persons are the max that should be allowed in the tug-o-war.