A little boy died two days after playmates buried him in a sandbox，media reported Wednesday.

Codey Porter, 10, asked his friends to bury his head in sand Saturday in a backyard because he wanted to mimic a favorite cartoon character "Naruto," a program featuring a ninja who can hide by burying himself, breathing through a tube.

According to the official US Naruto website, the character is a 13-year-old aspiring ninja who likes to play pranks more than he likes to train.

Porter was soon uncovered when his playmates realized he stopped breathing in the sand box.

The boy was transported first to Providence Everett Medical Center, and then airlifted to Children's Hospital. He died there Monday afternoon.

Five children interviewed by investigators told the Swohomish County Sheriff's Office that the burial idea came from the popular cartoon.

Codey was the victim of a "tragic accident," police said.

The program is "insanely popular right now with boys about 10 to 15" said Jake Metcalf, who publishes a blog on video games and animation.

The Japanese character Naruto was first introduced in 1999 and has since become immensely popular in the United States, expanding a brand that includes a television series, videos, video games, trading cards and toys.