10-Year-Old Boy Scout Accidentally Hangs Himself

A small town in Alabama has been rattled by an unbelievable tragedy. Late last week, 10-year-old A.J. Underwood accidentally hanged himself while trying to earn a Boy Scout merit badge in knot tying. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors were unable to revive him.

A.J. was allegedly practicing his knots when the accident occurred. "We had been learning how to tie . . . knots in ropes in Boy Scouts," Dana Wiesman, A.J.'s aunt, tells a local news outlet. "He came into the house and had unpacked his Boy Scout bag, and he went in his room and was apparently playing with the rope and slipped and got caught in it."

Despite being shaken up by A.J.'s death, town members are uniting to support his family members in their time of need. One citizen, Joey Prusha, launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral expenses. As of today, Prusha has raised almost $14,000, — just $6,000 shy of his goal. Though the money won't take away the family's pain, Prusha hopes it can help them honor their son and keep his memory alive.

"A.J. was the most amazing young man and will be missed by so many," Prusha write on the site. There's no doubt in our mind that he's right.