Mum shares terrifying warning after child gets stuck in washing machine

Ariane Beeston
Jul 17 2018 at 11:34 AM

"Kloe. Inside. Washer."

They're the three words Lindsay McIver's four-year-old son managed to utter last Tuesday morning, crying so much he could hardly speak.

And, in an instant, the horrifying realisation hit Ms McIver - her daughter was trapped inside the washing machine.

"By the time we reached the laundry room in the basement, my three-year-old daughter Kloe was LOCKED inside the airtight washing machine," the Kansas mum wrote in a post to Facebook on Wednesday.

"It was tumbling and filling with water. She was screaming but you couldn't hear her."

Ms McIver and her husband managed to stop the appliance, unlock the door and rescue their frightened little girl.

"Aside from a couple of small bumps on her head and wet clothes, she was fine," Ms McIver wrote, adding that they quickly went through all the "what ifs" and "could haves".

The shaken mum explained that she and her husband hesitated before sharing the harrowing incident, due to the fear of being shamed. Ultimately however, they decided it was too important not to, despite how tough it is to re-live.

"I post this because I can honestly say we did not realise the danger of this machine," Ms McIver wrote. " We are continually surprised at the new, inventive ways our kids come up with to try and die.

"And this was definitely a new one."

According to Ms McIver, the family had purchased a new "front load washing machine," the day before. "We spent that evening installing it with the kids underfoot," she wrote. "We told them several times that they were not to touch it. They all replied 'OK'".

Posting a photo of the machine, the mum wrote, "I took this picture after we secured the door shut with a child safety lock," a feature, she said, they found on the settings, after the terrifying incident.

"As long as it is engaged, [it] will not allow the washing machine to start," Ms McIver explained. "But it does not lock the door."

Adding that it obviously took "two curious kids to pull this off," the mum issued a plea to others with the same machine and small children. "Lock the door with a child safety lock and always keep the child lock setting on!"

Ms McIver added while she realises there are ways the incident could have been prevented, she wanted to be honest.

"We need to be open and honest about our mistakes to help one another keep our kids safe."

The post has been shared over 200,000 times, with many parents admitting they, too, had no idea of the dangers.

But the hazards are very real.

In 2009, a four-year-old US girl was killed after climbing into a front loader washing machine, which her one-year-old brother had turned on. And in 2011, a four-year-old UK boy had his arm ripped off when it became stuck in a washer door.

A report published in the British Medical Journal in 2003, examined data from 496 washing machine related injuries, documented by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

"Though most injuries associated with washing machines are minor, some are severe and devastating," the authors wrote, adding that the study was initiated after a child sustained a brain injury from a near drowning in a washer.

There were two deaths associated with automatic washing machines: one from a washing machine falling on a child and one from drowning in the water filled machine. Injuries occurred predominantly in the one-two year age group, and included lacerations and fractures.


Source: http://www.essentialkids.com.au/news/curre...20180716-h12qje

bodo tak jaga anak nak blame washing machine pulak

Lol lock the basement door lah bodo parents. Stop reproducing

I always tell my wife n maid if the kids are quite go see what they are doing. I sometimes stalk my kids when i dont hear anything from them. 100% of the time they do some mischievous thing.

Cue terminator intro song

dia ada genetic tempatan.

Admit mistake but blame machine dulu

Absolutely

i really dont see how this can happen unless there are two parties involved - one to go inside. the other to close the door and start the machine

kids nowadays is very creative. you never know what surprise they will give u.

p/s: nowadays i feel birthday is very important. it remind me that my daughter is still survive for another year

1 of the epic kantoi was them playing with my wife makeup set to scribble on the wall. The horrified face of my wife and the "im fucked" face of my kids was priceless

tell them , don't grow up.

That's why top loader better.
Same with fridge also.
Kids can ends up inside and cannot go out.

She has two kids. The other one told her about the other being stuck.

thats y should use top loading washing machine

Nice

Can still remember as a 3yo kid thinking the wall is so big sure can draw a lot, kena caught after just a couple of stars with pencil, wow very butthurt that day for real

My own kids will deserve no less. Specially now with computers and internet and all.

When you raise the wild child, it becomes like this. Low percentage chance of happening. Most Asian will get beaten to a pulp for just standing next to washing machines.

Breed too much forgotten to lock the bloody door. Wear condom next time.

Ah, fellow father. Wise thinking.

I tell you the door grille is crazy dangerous if you have an ambitious and adventurous kid since they will climb right to the very top but don't know how to climb down.