PHANG NGA, Thailand – A three-year-old girl spent over two hours trapped inside the spin dryer drum of a washing machine, losing consciousness before rescuers could free her.
Crawled into the drum while playing
The incident occurred when the girl was playing at her family’s home in Village 3, Kuraburi District. She crawled into the washing machine’s spin dryer drum through the opening, according to her grandmother, but was unable to escape on her own.
It was only after more than two hours that relatives noticed the girl was missing. They eventually heard noises coming from the appliance, by which time the child was severely exhausted.
Rescue team found unconscious child
Alerted helpers from the Ranong Rescue Foundation, Kuraburi unit, found the girl in the cramped plastic housing, visibly weakened. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, and she lost consciousness before the rescue could even begin.
To avoid wasting time and to prevent injuring the child with hasty movements, the emergency responders made a drastic decision. They quickly removed the entire spin dryer unit, including the drum, from the washing machine’s casing.
Liberation only possible at hospital
With the bulky machine part still containing the girl, they immediately proceeded to Kuraburi Chai Pattana Hospital. There, doctors and nurses administered oxygen to the unconscious child and monitored her vital signs.
Only under controlled conditions at the hospital did the rescuers begin to cut open the plastic drum piece by piece using specialized cutting and spreading tools. Throughout the process, they took extreme care to avoid injuring the girl with the equipment or splintering material.
Great relief for family and helpers
Following the successful and careful liberation, immense relief washed over the family and the rescue workers. Doctors confirmed after an initial examination that the girl was safe and no longer in immediate danger to her life.
The three-year-old girl remains under close medical observation at the hospital. Details regarding potential internal injuries or long-term consequences from oxygen deprivation were not released by the medical staff.
Warning about underestimated household dangers
The emergency responders used the dramatic rescue operation to issue a stark warning about such often-underestimated household dangers. Seemingly harmless appliances like washing machines, refrigerators, or freezers can quickly become deadly traps for small children.
The case of the girl from Kuraburi serves as a grim reminder to all parents and caregivers to never leave young children unsupervised near household appliances. The child continues to recover at the hospital from her hours-long ordeal.