The end of the school year and the start of summer vacation are usually a time for rejoicing and revelry for most high school and college students. Sadly, this excitement, often fueled by alcohol, can cause poor decision-making, which leads to tragedy. Almost everyone knows at least one person they went to school with who was the victim of a car accident around this time of the year. While car accidents are the number one cause of adolescent deaths this time of the year, they are not the only way in which young kids lives are cut tragically short.

On Saturday, June 3rd, two college students in Lutz, Florida, were found dead inside a large, deflated helium balloon after apparently pulling it down and crawling inside. The bodies of Jason Ackerman and Sara Rydman, both 21, were found partially inside the balloon at the entrance of a condominium complex a few miles north of Tampa. The 8-foot-diameter balloon was used to advertise the complex.

What would cause two young adults to do something like this? Perhaps Linda Rydman, mother of victim Sara Rydman, said it best:

“It was more a fun thing they thought they were doing. You know how you blow up the balloon and suck the helium.”

Yes Linda, we know. We’ve all done that before. We’ve all sucked in the helium from a balloon, talked like one of The Chipmunks, and got a real big laugh out of our friends. Then we called it a night, went to bed, and got ready for another exiting day of third grade. Never in our lives, particularly as adults, did we see a giant helium balloon and think:

“Well if one small balloon makes me talk like Alvin for fifteen seconds, what would a giant helium balloon do?”

Now we know. Thanks to Jason and Sara, we know. Whenever a young life is tragically cut short, people often ask why. Why would God take these two young lives at such an early age? What was the purpose? In this case, it seems clear. Jason and Sara lived and died, so that the rest of us will know without a doubt, breathing in small helium balloons… okay in moderation. Climbing inside of giant promotional helium balloons… not a good idea. To Jason and Sara… two more martyrs for young American idiots everywhere.

21/09/2006
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