Texas Boy Dies After Getting Stuck Between Washer and Dryer While Playing Hide-and-Seek on Vacation
obituary
An 8-year-old boy has died after getting stuck between a washing machine and dryer while playing hide-and-seek.
Thomas County Sheriff's Office Captain Tim Watkins confirms to PEOPLE that Wrangler Hendrix, who was from Jewett, Texas, was playing the game while at visiting a relative's home in Coolidge, Georgia, with his grandparents Friday.
Capt. Watkins tells PEOPLE authorities believe the boy was trying to hide behind the appliances when he got stuck. The child's family discovered him "wedged between a washer and dryer," and immediately began CPR.
Authorities were called to the home after Hendrix was found "unresponsive," according to Capt. Watkins.
RELATED: Body of 6-Year-Old Boy Found in Mass. River After Mom Died Trying to Save Him During Family Trip
"The child was transported to Archbold Memorial Hospital in Thomasville, Georgia, where resuscitation attempts continued," Capt. Watkins added in his statement to PEOPLE.
"After approximately one hour of resuscitation attempts, the child was pronounced at approximately 7:28 PM."
Though law enforcement officials believe Hendrix died from positional asphyxiation, an official autopsy is expected to be performed Wednesday.
"The Thomas County Sheriff's Office would like to express our deepest condolences to the family of Wrangler," says Capt. Watkins.
Wrangler, the son of Rhonda White and William Andrew Hendrix, was a second-grade student described as a "sweetheart" by those who knew him.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
"My heart breaks for all of you. Praying for peace and comfort for you during these dark days. Wrangler was a sweetheart. So thankful for the time I got to be his bus driver," one person wrote in an online tribute.
"He was so well-mannered and took care of his sister. They were so excited about their trip and the beach. We joked about wearing lots of sunscreen as they got off the bus. Rest in heavenly peace, Wrangler."
Funeral services for Wrangler will be held on Tuesday, June 21, at 2 p.m. at Sardis Baptist Church in Jewett.
