DATE: Wednesday, May 21, 1997               TAG: 9705210497

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JUNE ARNEY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   31 lines

PINES RESIDENT DIES WEEK AFTER SUICIDE ATTEMPT

A 16-year-old male resident of The Pines Residential Treatment Center died Tuesday, apparently from a suicide attempt a week earlier, according to authorities.

The youth, a resident of the Phoenix Program, apparently tried to hang himself on May 13 and fell into a coma, authorities said. The Phoenix program, located on Crawford Parkway in Portsmouth, treats violent and aggressive youths.

Pines officials said staff members resuscitated the youth after they found him. He immediately was transferred to Portsmouth General Hospital and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, where he remained on life support for several days. That life support was terminated after doctors determined that brain death had occurred, Pines officials said.

Pines officials could not identify the youth or his home state or provide details of his death because of confidentiality rules.

``The entire staff and residents of our facility are deeply saddened by this extremely tragic incident,'' George Boothby, administrator of The Pines, said Tuesday.

``We have brought in a crisis team of employee assistance professionals, a consulting psychologist, registered nurses and masters-prepared social workers to provide extra support for those particularly affected by this loss.'' KEYWORDS: SUICIDE THE PINES RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER

JUVENILE TEENAGER RESIDENT

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