'Slingshot' hook kills teen in trapped 4WD

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8182972/slingshot-hook-kills-teen-in-trapped-4wd

A Queensland teenager has died after a towing strap catapulted off a car at speeds of up to 160km/h and hit him in the head.

Addison Yates, 14, was on a "bush bash" with friends on Sunday night in Vernon Conversation Park in Walligan, near Hervey Bay in Queensland, when the 4WD he was in became bogged, the Fraser Coast Chronicle reports.

The boy watched from the back window as his friends, who were in two other 4WD vehicles, attached a towing rope to the car he was in and began pulling.

But tension caused the hook on the towing rope to snap loose and slingshot through the back window, knocking him unconscious.

Detective Sergeant Bruce Hodgins told the Brisbane Times newspaper the rope could only support a weight of five tonnes but the two vehicles created a load of seven tonnes.

"It acted like a slingshot," Sergeant Hodgins said.

"The two vehicles put an unbelievable pressure on the strap. There was also incredible pressure on the middle vehicle.

"The hook bolts couldn't take the pressure."

Physicists estimated the hook would have been travelling between 100-160km/h. Emergency crews had trouble locating the group because of recent floods which affected the area.

Addison was the son of a well known Hervey Bay couple, Pastor Darryn Yates and step mother Jill Yates, who manage the local drug and rehabilitation centre and church.

His six siblings and parents were too distraught to speak yesterday.

By early Monday morning, a tribute page had been created on Facebook with over 600 members.

An autopsy report has been prepared for the coroner and funeral details will be released later this week.

Tragic accident , very sad , Recovery is a dangerous business ,
Be carefull out there guys