Motorcyclist in Brazil dies after glass-coated kite string slits his throat

A man in Brazil was riding his motorcycle with his wife on June 3 when a glass-coated kite string in the air sliced his neck.

As the motorcycle sped on, the string split open Mr Auriel Missael Henrique’s neck, causing him to begin bleeding out on the street in Duque de Caxias, a town in northern Rio de Janeiro.

His wife attempted to stop the bleeding with the help of a passing driver.

The duo then rushed Mr Henrique to a hospital in Nova Iguacu, Mr Henrique’s niece reportedly told Brazilian news outlet Globo.

However, the 41-year-old father of three died of a cardiac arrest before reaching the hospital.

The strings of fighter kites are typically coated in a mixture of glue and powdered glass, known locally as linha chilena, making the cord sharp and strong enough to cut through human skin and wires, reported The Daily Mail.

Lawmakers in Brazil are seeking to prohibit the manufacture, sale and use of the deadly strings. A Bill that is passing through Brazil’s Congress seeks to punish offenders with one to three years’ jail and a fine.

While the strings are already outlawed in some crowded parts of Brazil, including Rio, kite-fighting is especially popular in Rio’s favelas.

The pastime involves people trying to cut the strings of one another’s kites.

In France and Chile, kite-fighting competitions are held in designated areas. But in places where the game is unregulated, numerous accidents and deaths have been reported.

To avoid being struck by the deadly lines, motorcyclists typically put up antenna-like posts equipped with razors at the front of their bikes to cut any incoming strings, reported The Daily Mail.

The practice is so common that the company managing one of Rio’s main highways regularly distributes the contraption to motorists.