Boy, 7, Nearly Dies After Swallowing Magnets from Popular Game: ‘My Worst Nightmare’

A 7-year-old boy from England nearly lost his life after swallowing two powerful magnets from the game Kluster, a product not intended for children under 14.

Naomi Rivers, 35, says her son Eli had been playing in the living room on May 11 when she suddenly heard him choking. “He was panicked and sobbing — it was terrifying,” Rivers told Kennedy News and Media. “I have a fear of choking. This was my worst nightmare come to life.”

Rivers discovered Eli had swallowed two magnetic stones from Kluster, a dexterity game that involves placing magnets within a rope circle without letting them snap together. The magnets are small — just under the size of a mint — but dangerously strong.

Eli admitted he had been experimenting with the magnets by placing them on opposite sides of his hand and body. Curious whether they’d still stick through saliva, he put one magnet inside his mouth and the other outside. When they stuck together, he decided to place both in his mouth — and then, he said, “got the urge to swallow.”

Emergency Response and Critical Risk

Rivers rushed her son to Grantham and District Hospital. An X-ray confirmed the magnets had snapped together inside Eli’s stomach and moved into his small intestine, where they became lodged. Doctors quickly escalated the case.

“Because he swallowed two magnets, the situation was critical,” Rivers said. “They moved fast. There was a real fear they’d attract through organ tissue and cause internal tearing.”

Doctors initially attempted to flush the magnets out with laxatives, then performed an endoscopy and keyhole surgery — all unsuccessful. Eli was then transferred to Queen’s Medical Center in Nottingham for emergency open surgery.

“They tried everything, but the magnets wouldn’t budge,” Rivers recalled. “Ultimately, they had to open him up with a four-inch incision to remove them.”

Manufacturer Warning and Parental Plea

Kluster is manufactured by Borderline Editions and is clearly labeled for ages 14 and up. The company warns that the magnets are not toys and pose a life-threatening hazard if swallowed. According to the label:

“Magnets stuck together inside the human body can cause serious injury or death. If swallowed or inhaled, seek medical attention immediately.”

After a six-hour operation on May 22, Eli spent four days recovering in the hospital. He is now doing well, but his mother has discarded the game and is sharing their story as a warning to other families.

“You want your kids off screens, playing with real-world toys — and then something like this happens,” Rivers said. “I’d strongly advise parents not to keep these kinds of magnets at home at all. They’re simply too dangerous.”

Rivers hopes increased awareness will help prevent another child from going through what Eli endured. “He was lucky,” she said. “Another child might not be.”