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7-year-old gets stuck in stuffed animal game machine

SHEBOYGAN (AP) -- A 7-year-old boy had to be rescued with the help of a locksmith Saturday after crawling into a supermarket's stuffed animal game machine while his father talked on the telephone.

"He was sitting right in there with the stuffed animals," said Shift Commander Mark Zittel of the Sheboygan Fire Department.
He said the boy, whose name was not released because he is a minor, crawled through about an 8-inch-by-10-inch opening to get into the glass enclosure via a chute where the toys come out, but when he tried to get back out his way was blocked.

The stuffed animals are prizes that can be hooked by players with a crane-like device.

"His dad was three feet away at a pay phone," Zittel said. "He was talking on the phone and he said the next thing he turned around and the kid was in the thing."

He said the boy stayed calm and didn't panic as firefighters responded to the Piggly Wiggly store and then moved the game machine to the back of the store and got a locksmith to open the main loading door. The process took about an hour.


"There was no panic," Zittel said. "We could have broke the glass if there was an emergency."

The boy was not injured or traumatized but desperately had to go to the bathroom, he said.

But rescuers hadn't figured out how the boy was able to crawl into the game, or why no one in the store's busy lobby spotted him and stopped him before he got inside.


Probably would have done the same if I was 7 again...

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Silvy

He could've used a few quarters and 'crane'd him out

But seriously, the kid did this in how many seconds? Shouldn't dad have noticed it if it took more than a few seconds?

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DEI37

That's crazy. I can't imagine my 3 year old getting through an 8x10 opening! And, yeah, bad on the father, or someone for not noticing!

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InTeGrA77

hehe, I wonder how many of the stuffed animals he took with him when he got out?

hey look, it looks like his head is right in the "claw..." either that or I'm seeing things!

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cchris

Reminds me of Toy Story. "You can be the toy that goes with the meal".

And for those of you that don't have kids.............................

It only takes a split second for a sharp eyed boy to do that sort of thing.The Father might not be a deadbeat.

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sadatx

I don't think I could have ever fit through a space that small even when I was his age (I was...uh um....big boned).

The kid must be a born contortionist.

AnUnkind

That's kinda funny

I could just imagine myself putting in a few quarters and torturing him with the grabber claw trying to pull off one of his ears or something

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cchris

The claw the claw.

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krwlz

I can imagine myself trying to do that at that age. I dont know wether I would have fit, but chances are... I wuda.

hobo

I woulda grabbed him with the claw and claimed him as a prize.

But really, someone coulda stuck in a quarter to open the shute for him to crawl back out.

legolas

I'm sorry, but that's funny. Aside from that, I hope he doesn't develop chlostraphobia (even though he wasn't scared)

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analog

that's fuckin hilarious. i'm glad you shared that, cuz now i have a mental image of trying to pick a kid out of a giant crane machine in my head. lol

GakFace

First off.. I can easily understand how the father didn't see. When you're on the phone.. how often do you look EVERYWHERE. Most people would assume their child will be ok for a minute while on the phone. Some people turn around... From there, he wouldn't have seen.

As for the fitting? I see it. Picture a full sized van. Ok now on one of those side windows? You know how they're huge? well then the bottom of it there are these two little itty bitty windows. I fit through one of those. I was probably in middle school.. so 6th or 7th grade is my bet. I had help of my sister's NOW Ex-b/f. He locked his keys in, and so he opened that little itty bitty window and turned me sideways and I squiggled my way in there. I fit in that and I was older than 7. I also required help.. but I still got in. Now drop your jaw in awe and worship me! (like KWSN, King, Tai, Ogre, Z, Etc.... )

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Reese

Wait a minute.. There's something fishy about this story.. People still use pay phones?

If this is the same kind of machine I'm thinking about he'd have to be a tiny kid because that thing has 2 doors to prevent people from reaching in and up to the toys, there isn't much clearance in there.

It's funny and I woulda loved to see it, and I can picture my sister doing something like that one day.

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BonesCPA

Yes, finally a picture!

Edited: NO KIDS

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krazykemist

This was at a Piggly Wiggly. How technologically inclined do you think they are. I know the Piggly Wiggly that is in the next town over does not cater to the cell phone crowd. Its more like the bait and tackle crowd.

And yes I would have been laughing and pointing had I been there to see this. The kid would not have been the only one that would have had to use the bathroom.

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Snakebyt

this store needs pics.... hahaha