$ Mom Hears Husband Scream In Basement, Runs Down To Find Her Toddler Trapped

 Lindsay and Alan Mackeyver’s threeyearold daughter Chloe got locked inside their new washing machine on July 10. Their post about the incident has gone viral. It’s not unusual for Lindsey and Alan Mackeyver’s children to get up before them most mornings. The kids entertain themselves for about ten to 15 minutes, coloring and playing before going to wake their parents, Lindsey McIver told the Washington Post. Now back to the story. But on Tuesday last week, the Colorado couple were awakened by their panicked four year old son, Jace. He was crying so hard I couldn’t understand the words he was saying. It was then that the realization hit, he had said. Chloe inside washer in a Facebook post that has since been shared more than 3000 times, Lindsay detailed the harrowing experience of rescuing her three year old daughter, Khloe. I post this because I can honestly say we did not realize the danger of this machine, Lindsay wrote.

We are continually surprised at the new inventive ways our kids come up with to try and die, and this was definitely a new one. I’ve been hesitant to write this post, firstly because of the inevitable online mom shaming that is bound to ensue. And it all began with two curious kids and a shiny new washing machine.

Despite telling their children to stay away from the washer, Lindsay told the Post she believes Chloe climbed in and Jace shut the door, pushing the machine’s buttons while his sister was inside. Then panic ensued, running down to the basement laundry room, the MacGyvers entered a nightmarish scene through the washers door’s clear window. They saw Chloe tumbling around as water poured in around her. It was terrifying, Alan told Good Morning America in an interview Monday.

I could tell she was screaming, but the machine is airtight. I yanked on the door. I pulled so hard I moved the machine from the wall, but it’s locked. You can’t get it open.

They had just purchased and installed the washer the day before and weren’t familiar with how it worked, Lindsay told the Post after pulling on the door. Didn’t open it, Lindsay said. Her husband started pushing buttons on the machine, eventually pressing pause, followed by power. The door unlocked.

Chloe was freed, pulled her outside out of it and got the best hug in the world from her as she was out and crying, but safe.

It was terrifying, Lindsay said. Since it was a new machine, we weren’t positive on how to use it or unlock it. We knew it locked, but we didn’t know if we would even be able to get it back open at that point. So we were just grateful to be able to figure out how to open it and get her out quickly. Aside from some small bumps on her head and wet clothes, Chloe had escaped from the washer relatively unscathed, according to the Facebook post. But the toddler learned her lesson pretty quickly after we pulled her out, she said. We better not do that again. While the Mackayr’s story ended with relief rather than tragedy, other children who have crawled into washing machines have not been so lucky. Two years ago, a three year old girl in Arkansas climbed into a washing machine and shut the lid. In that case, the machine was programmed to start once the lid was closed and the girl died from scaling and thermal injuries. As the Post’s Lindsay Bever reported, in January, a five year old boy in Japan suffocated inside a front Loading washing machine after closing the door and getting trapped.

The Mackayers are aware their situation could have easily been another tragedy, Lindsay said. As I understand if it’s farther along in the cycle, it may not unlock at that point, she said. We were able to catch it right at the beginning. Lindsay said she decided to share her story because she wanted other parents to be aware of the dangers posed by appliances such as washing machines.

We really hope that all parents out there evaluate the dangers in their house and look at the situation and where potential dangers exist.

I hadn’t heard any stories about things like that happening, she said. The thought never even crossed my mind. In the Facebook post, Lindsay wrote that her washer’s door now has a physical child lock on it and that the machine’s child lock feature is enabled. All LG washers come equipped with the safety feature, Taryn Brucia, director of public relations for LG Electronics, told The Today Show. When activated, the machine cannot be used, according to Brucia. In a statement to ABC News, the company said it encourages people to use the important safety setting. We applaud Miss MC Iver for telling her story and for sharing in our efforts to make sure that customers are aware of the child safety lock feature available on LG washing machines and dryers. Because the washer was so new, Lindsay wrote that she and her husband had not even had a chance to use the machine or examine its settings before Chloe was trapped. However, Lindsay said she discovered that the child locked setting on her model doesn’t keep the door from opening so children can still get stuck inside. She added that it’s important for parents to take additional preventative steps, such as locking laundry room doors or childproofing washer doors.

Kids are just so curious and energetic, and they don’t always understand the dangers associated with things, she said. They’re just learning bikes, exploring their environment. It’s always, I think for every mom a challenge. If you liked the video, please give it a thumbs up and consider sharing it with someone who may find it interesting.