A boy in Australia was rescued after being trapped inside a claw machine
AUSTRALIA – A three-year-old boy, Ethan, got trapped inside a claw machine at Capalaba shopping center in Brisbane, Queensland.
The incident occurred last week. The child’s father mentioned that he briefly turned away, and upon looking back, his son had entered and got trapped in the claw machine filled with Hello Kitty plushies.
Police received a call about the incident and promptly arrived at the shopping center. They freed the child by breaking the glass of the machine. The boy spent approximately 10-15 minutes inside the machine. According to the mall management, it was the first time such an incident occurred in any of their 21 shopping centers in Queensland.
A circulated video showed the rescue of the trapped child. Upon arrival, the parents appeared anxious as Ethan continued playing inside the claw machine. They instructed him to go to a corner of the machine and cover his eyes. The police then broke the glass, lifted the child from the pile of plushies, and jokingly said, “You won a prize, which one do you want?”
Timothy Hopper, the child’s father, expressed disbelief at how quickly his son got inside the claw machine. Despite receiving negative feedback on social media, Timothy justified that kids will be kids and can move swiftly.
After the child got trapped, Timothy contacted the claw machine company, who inquired about the money in the machine. Timothy’s response was, “The only thing stuck in the machine is my child, I would love to have him back.”
Senior Constable Stuart Power, one of the police officers, mentioned that it was his first time encountering such an incident in his 11-year career. The shopping center management will discuss future safety measures to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
