Mother, sister tried to stop teen jumping to his death after taking drug
The mother and sister of a 17-year-old boy tried desperately to stop him jumping over the third floor balcony of their apartment in Sydney's upper north shore when he arrived home after taking a drug that mimics the effect of LSD.
The teenager plunged to his death in Killara Avenue, Killara on Wednesday night having ingested a tab of a drug that was allegedly sold to him as LSD, but is actually a synthetic drug.
It is understood the Killara High School student had bought the drug from a friend and classmate a short time earlier.
The head of the NSW Police Drugs Squad, Detective Superintendent Nick Bingham, said the teenager’s mother and sister were understandably extremely distraught, having struggled with him in a bid to stop him jumping from the balcony.
He had removed all his clothes and appeared to be in some kind of a drug-induced psychosis, Detective Superintendent Bingham said.
"When he arrived home he engaged in some very erratic behaviour which is quite out of character for this young fellow. By all accounts he’s a very good young lad," he said.
"He was on his balcony at home. His mother and sister were with him and he managed to jump off the balcony... they were trying to stop him from jumping off."
He said police had become aware of the drug in recent months, with the product most often purchased online and most likely originating in China.
He said it is marketed as an LSD mimic, was extremely cheap to buy and had been found across the country.
Its dangerous effects could last up to 11 hours, Detective Superintendent Bingham said.
The teenager was a Year 12 student.
Students were informed when they arrived at school on Thursday morning of his death.
His friend Riku said the teenager had been at the school since Year 9 and was an exceptional student
"I am stunned. I was shocked," Riku said.
"He laughed a lot. He sometimes was annoying. He made some really good jokes. He was generous.
"He was kind. He was a good student."
The 17-year-old lived in the apartment with his mother and siblings.
Those who were close to him at school were allowed to leave for the day upon hearing the news.
A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said paramedics were called to an address in Killara Avenue at 8.05pm on Wednesday to treat a male patient who was semi-conscious and suffering from a head injury.
"While at the scene we engaged in life-saving efforts, however the patient died," the spokeswoman said.
Police say there have been other recent cases of teenagers and young adults acting recklessly after ingesting the synthetic hallucinogenic substances 25B-NBOMe and 25I-NBOMe, including a number of teenagers who stripped naked and ran through the streets of Sydney's north shore earlier this year.
A teenager who took those substances also was hit by a car on the Central Coast last year after running into its path, while his friend died after suffering a medical condition.
In another case in South Australia last year, a man who had taken the drug died from injuries sustained when he repeatedly ran into trees, power poles and other fixed objects.
The drug is believed to be made in China and bought over the internet.
Following Wednesday night's the death, an 18-year-old man was arrested and charged with supplying a prohibited drug. Further arrests are expected to be made.
Police remained at the apartment block where the teenager died on Thursday afternoon taking computers and bags of evidence from the home.
A neighbour who lives opposite the apartment block said he saw a large number of police at the building on Wednesday night.
The man, who did not want to be identified, said there did not appear to have been a party at the building, and the only indication that something was wrong was the large police presence.
"We were concerned about what was going on, and when I asked the police they said someone had died," he said.
A spokesman for the NSW Department of Education and Communities said counselling support was being offered to staff and students at the school.
"Killara High School is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a Year 12 student," he said.
"The thoughts of the school community are with the family and friends."
Detective Superintendent Bingham said police had received a number of reports in recent months of teenagers and young adults acting recklessly after ingesting 25B-NBOMe and 25I-NBOMe.
The exact substance the teenager ingested on Wednesday night is still to be determined, but Detective Superintendent Bingham said his behaviour was similar to that exhibited by others who had taken those substances.
“The fact is that both illicit drugs and synthetic drugs are dangerous, and people taking these substances don't know how they are going to be affected,” he said.
“What we are seeing with 25B-NBOMe and 25I-NBOMe is that people are engaging in reckless, risky behaviour, such as running into traffic, having psychedelic crises which cause anxiety, panic attacks, acute paranoia and fear, as well as undressing due to feeling overheated.
“That is putting their health and their lives at considerable risk.
“That's not to mention the countless people who have experienced adverse reactions, including some who have died, after taking different illicit and synthetic drugs.
“Anyone who is considering experimenting with illicit or synthetic drugs should stop to consider the possible consequences and not do it. It's a gamble with your life that's just not worth taking.”
The 18-year-old man arrested following Wednesday night's death was granted conditional bail to appear in Hornsby Local Court on July 3.
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