Vending Machine: 4yo Boy Freed

A four-year-old boy was admitted to hospital yesterday after having his hand stuck inside a vending machine for more than six hours.

Emergency crews were called around lunchtime to the Lonsdale Street address in Melbourne’s CBD. Upon arrival, they found the young boy with his hand stuck in the anti-theft flaps of the machine.

The emergency crews had to work for more than six hours to free the boy, as the machine was required to be dismantled piece-by-piece.

The small boy was in considerable distress throughout this time and emergency services creatively used cartoons on their smartphones to help calm him. At one stage the boy required sedation.

He was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a stable condition.

Sergeant Ali Gurdag told the ABC it was an unusual operation.

“First type of job I’ve had to respond to in that situation,” he said. “To see that young, little kid in the discomfort he was in, and observing the fire brigade and how patient they were, it was just an exceptional performance.”

Image source: Shutterstock

16 Comments

- - mom19782016 said
  - 17 Apr 2016
    5:51 pm
Oh no, hope he learnt something from this. How lucky he was to have such patient emergency services to look after him. Hope his hand is alright now though – 6 hours is an awfully long time.

- - Nas01 said
  - 03 Apr 2016
    7:38 pm
So glad he was finally freed.

- - mom94125 said
  - 02 Mar 2016
    11:41 am
oh poor kid! hopefully he won’t do that again! don’t laugh…i saw there is this kid in america and he climbs INTO the claw machines and gets stuck! he has done this a few times now and i feel bad for the mum!

- - mom156049 said
  - 01 Mar 2016
    2:43 pm
Saw this on the news – he now wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. Poor little mite

- - mom93821 said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    9:29 pm
Such a scary experience for this little chap – he will probably have an aversion to the machines now!
🙁

- - BellaB said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    6:48 pm
I assume he was just being curious… Very upsetting.

- - Mummytoabeautifulprincess said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    3:44 pm
I don’t like those vending/toy machines. They’re an accident waiting to happen for little kids. This poor little boy must have been so frightened. Good work to the emergency services!

- - mom90758 said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    2:29 pm
Oh my! Little child! It must have been so terrifying for him! And being stuck there for so many hours!! 🙁

- - katelt said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    12:29 pm
Is it wrong that every time I read about a kid in a vending machine, all I can think is that at least it wasn’t mine?

- - mom103920 said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    11:46 am
Its incredible the scrapes kids get themselves into. Poor boy. Thanks to the Emergency Services for a fantastic job as normal.

- - KrysGrace said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    11:36 am
Well done to the emergency services. How scary for the little boy and scary/frustrating for his parents.

- - rachelvk said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    10:35 am
Well done to the emergency services involved, The poor kid must have been quite scared!

- - mom165081 said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    9:49 am
Temptation and curiosity – such a bad luck story. Emergency services are wonderful – they show true compassion and care.

- - mom105503 said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    9:26 am
Poor little possum, a bet he will be super careful where he puts his hand, around machines again. Super job to the rescue staff.

- - welshmummy said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    8:21 am
Poor boy. The stress must have been awful for him.

- - mum4107 said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    5:53 am
That poor kid. I can’t believe it took so long to free him.