Toddler rescued after getting head trapped in leisure centre turnstile

Published: 1:09 PM November 27, 2009

Updated: 6:41 PM November 1, 2020

A THREE-YEAR-OLD boy who got his head trapped in a turnstile at a leisure centre had to be freed by firefighters. The toddler became stuck as he was leaving the Lord Butler Leisure Centre in Saffron Walden, just before 9.30am this morning (Friday). Statio

A THREE-YEAR-OLD boy who got his head trapped in a turnstile at a leisure centre had to be freed by firefighters.

The toddler became stuck as he was leaving the Lord Butler Leisure Centre in Saffron Walden, just before 9.30am this morning (Friday).

Station commander at Saffron Walden, Paul Curtis, said: "The boy had run ahead of his mum on the way out and slipped through an adult's legs as he went out the turnstile, then it clicked forward and trapped his head between one of the spokes and the barrier.

"We used our hydraulic tool to open the turnstile up and dismantled the mechanism around the boy.

"He was very brave but as soon as he was free he ran straight to his mum and was really upset, but ambulance crews were able to calm him down."

The incident was attended by crews from Saffron Walden and Harlow. The boy was released by 9.50am.