Fort Providence (Sep 24/03) - People in Fort Providence are praying that an 8-year-old boy found asphyxiated on a piece of playground equipment during lunch hour on Monday will pull through.

The boy was medevaced to Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife and was subsequently transferred to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, where he remains in serious condition.

The RCMP responded to a call for help at 12:18 p.m. after a passerby noticed the boy's limp body dangling by his neck.

Although he was unconscious, he did have a pulse, according to RCMP Const. Amber Powder.

The boy was alone on the school playground when the incident occurred, she said. She added that the playground equipment was not thought to be defective or the cause of the incident either.

At press time, she said it remained unclear how the boy wound up in his predicament but foul play is not suspected.

Social workers and counsellors from various centres descended on the community to help them cope with the shocking event. Deh Gah school was scheduled to be closed Tuesday for a professional development session for teachers, but in light of the misfortune, the school was kept open for those who needed support.

Principal Jane Arychuk noted that some students were taking the news hard, especially not knowing on Tuesday whether the boy would be all right.

"We're doing debriefing circles and then we're doing individual counselling as well," said Arychuk.