ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando police are warning parents to take extra precautions following the death of a 3-year-old boy Sunday who died after he was trapped in a front-laoding washing machine.
The investigation is still underway, but Orlando police said it appears the child was playing with his sibling in the Lake Como Circle home laundry room when he was trapped in the front-loading washer.
Police did not say how long the 3-year-old was inside the washer.
When he was discovered, paramedics performed CPR, but the child died at Arnold Palmer Hospital, according to police.
"It’s certainly is a tragic scenario," said Jim Nanni, a product testing engineer for Consumer Reports.
The publication has spotlighted the dangers of washers and dryers to children before, claiming more than 2,000 children each year are either hurt or killed in incidents involving washers or dryers.
Nanni said parents can take steps to prevent their children from being hurt.
He said even though some suggest keeping the washing machine doors open to prevent mold, use the child lock feature on front-loading washing machine to keep kids out.
He said lock the laundry room door, if possible.
He also suggests putting a power switch on the washing machine. That way it has to be turned on from a secondary source in order to work.
The investigation is active and ongoing, but police released this message as a warning to parents and guardians:
"In order to prevent an incident like this from happening again, we are asking parents to take precautions to keep their children safe in the laundry room. Laundry rooms with their own doors and handles can be secured using a child-proof handle or lock, which can prevent children from gaining access to the laundry room in the first place. In addition, the doors of a washer and dryer should be closed and locked at all times. We also ask that parents speak with their children and teach them that washers, dryers and other appliances are not toys and should not be played with."