A really sad news has caught our eye. A little girl was trapped on an escalator after getting her hair and arm stuck on the gap between the steps.
Girl’s hair stuck in escalator
Apparently, the toddler, in Davao city, the Philippines, was going down the escalator when she dropped her toy. As she reached down to pick it up, her hair got caught between the last step and the gap at the bottom of the escalator, dragging her head to the metal ledge.
Her arm got trapped in the machine as well before a bystander slammed the emergency stop button.
The news broke when a video was posted online by Vannessa Baguiom, who recorded the clip. ‘’The little girl’s toy fell so she was trying to reach it, that’s when her hair got caught in the escalator,” Baguiom said.
“The reason why she’s screaming in pain is because part of her arm is also caught, pinching the skin and muscles. It was pitiful to watch. I felt so sorry for her because nobody could do anything,” she added.
The footage shows the girl crying in pain as her father tries to comfort her, all the while desperately slamming the bottom of the machine.
Mall staff arrived with a pair of scissors to cut away part of her trapper hair in order to free her head. The shopping mall’s operations officer Jean Canetan arrived on the scene and unscrewed the bottom of the machine to release her arm.
A spokesperson said “All is OK now and the girl is safe. It’s all taken care of. That is the most important thing.”
Video of the girl crying in pain is really sad to watch, we hope she is okay now…
Do remember these safety tips when riding an escalator:
1. Before your child gets on
Make sure there are no loose strings on your child that might get caught—mittens, ribbons, shoe laces, other clothing or dangling items.
2. Always hold on to your child’s hand.
Have your kid face forward the whole time when standing on a moving escalator.
3. No play on board.
Tell them to avoid the edge of the steps, and never let them play or sit on the steps.
4. Use a lift if you have a stroller.
When you’re using a stroller, try to use the elevator as much as possible. In a study done across several years, there were 13,000 child-related injuries and accidents on escalators and out of that number, 723 revolved around strollers.
In those cases, kids actually fell out of the stroller. It’s better to take a little time waiting for the elevator and be safe.
5. Lift your kids up.
Your little ones may not have enough coordination or developmental skills to step off and instantly land on the platform—it takes good timing even as an adult.
If your toddler jumps off, they might lose their balance and fall. Always lift your toddler on and off the steps of the escalator.
6. Step over the “combs”.
The combs are basically where the escalator steps vanishes into the floor below when you get on or off. There is a slight gap where your kid’s toes might be trapped. Avoid it completely by stepping over it every single time.
7. Right in the centre.
Stand right in the middle if possible. It could be a tangled situation on either side of the escalator.
8. The type of shoes matters.
Try to avoid wearing plastic shoes that are flexible and have holes—there have been reports of Crocs or similar types of footwear that caused accidents. Your kid may slide their footwear along the side of the escalator, which will cause friction and run the risk of getting a wedged foot.
9. Scour your surroundings.
Before you get on the escalator, look around you and be aware of what is going on. You might be busy attending to your kid but do take a moment to register the stuff and people around you.
You have to be aware of people on a hurry; they might shove you and your kid aside to get on. So, your best bet is to leave several empty steps empty before getting on with your child.
10. Watch your kids like a hawk.
Your kid may be tempted to get a little cheeky by sitting down, facing backwards or even pick up objects that may have fallen. This could be a disaster waiting to happen, especially near the end of the ride.
Also READ: 4-year-old girl’s shoe gets stuck at escalator in Singapore
(Source: MYNEWSHUB)