CA - 8-year-old boy dies after being found submerged head first in washing machine

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Eight-year-old boy dies after being found submerged head-first in washing machine. (Daily Mail)

• The boy was unconscious and not breathing when emergency responders arrived Wednesday night
• Paramedics resuscitated him for the trip to a nearby hospital
• The boy died Sunday morning
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The boy was discovered by his father, who went inside the home about 7;30 Wednesday night to check on his son after doing chores in the yard.
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With the boy’s mother was reportedly out shopping, it appears he was inside alone.

The boy was on the ground next to the washing machine with his father when paramedics arrived.
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The death is being investigated by LA County Sheriff’s Office homicide detectives, the spokesperson told MailOnline, but they are operating under the assumption it was a tragic accident.
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the rest at the link, with links to CA-based articles
 
An eight year old isn't tall enough to lean over the side of the washing machine without standing on something like a chair. I hope they investigate this very carefully.

MOO
 
An eight year old isn't tall enough to lean over the side of the washing machine without standing on something like a chair. I hope they investigate this very carefully.

MOO

It depends on the 8-year-old. I was the height of an average woman by that age. (I'm 6'3" now.)

But if one of the boy's chores was to load and start the washing machine, maybe he WAS standing on something to make it easier to complete the task.
 
That's just bizarre. Assuming it's an accident, how did he manage to get into the washing machine?
 
That's just bizarre. Assuming it's an accident, how did he manage to get into the washing machine?

Most have a dryer next to the washer. Very strange. The machine couldn't have been on, they stop when you lift the lid.
 
My hideous old washer doesn't stop if the lid is lifted. It will not "continue" the load by rotating it - but it WILL fill up with water, and then it will wait for the lid to close to continue.

I wonder if he hit his head or even got stuck while it was filling up. I can't see an 8 year old submerging his head in a full machine, but it could have been empty or only just starting. Maybe he dropped something in there while he was starting a load?
 
Most have a dryer next to the washer. Very strange. The machine couldn't have been on, they stop when you lift the lid.

How did he get on the dryer? I'm so glad I upgraded to a front loading system.
 
Okay, let's say the washer's on, and filling up. The boy is inside by himself. He decides to do something he's practiced before - a handstand. He trots up to the washer, braces his two hands against its top front, and swings himself upward. But he can't, when he arrives above it, plant his hands; there's condensation on the machine perhaps. He slides forward, and falls in.
 
Okay, let's say the washer's on, and filling up. The boy is inside by himself. He decides to do something he's practiced before - a handstand. He trots up to the washer, braces his two hands against its top front, and swings himself upward. But he can't, when he arrives above it, plant his hands; there's condensation on the machine perhaps. He slides forward, and falls in.

Did he have any other injuries? I can see how an eight year old could try that stunt.
 
Did he have any other injuries? I can see how an eight year old could try that stunt.
Not sure. Sheriff's still investigating. I expect the autopsy will show something, though if there's no foul play involved I'm not sure we'll ever hear.
 
Okay, let's say the washer's on, and filling up. The boy is inside by himself. He decides to do something he's practiced before - a handstand. He trots up to the washer, braces his two hands against its top front, and swings himself upward. But he can't, when he arrives above it, plant his hands; there's condensation on the machine perhaps. He slides forward, and falls in.

If the lid is up the water will run but the machine is off. It just doesn't explain how he drowned.
If he could get his head in, I think he could get it out. I'm not buying this story.
 
If the lid is up the water will run but the machine is off. It just doesn't explain how he drowned.
If he could get his head in, I think he could get it out. I'm not buying this story.
He knocks himself unconscious, head down in a full tub of water.

It does sound pretty hinky all the way 'round though. Then again, that's why they call 'em freak accidents.

Nothing new on it today that I can find.
 
This is a story about a three year old boy. I wonder if our 8 year of was small for his age. He may have wedged himself in.....trying to reach for something....and was unable to get out. RIP little man. My prayers are with all those who loved him.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...er-who-drowned-in-washing-machine.html?pg=all

In the laundry room, the lid to the washer was open, the tub filled with water. She reached in and felt her little boy, wedged tightly inside.

"Everybody talks about a tub (and the risk of children drowning in them)," said Tiffany Hebb, who's pregnant with the couple's second child. "I knew never to leave him alone in the tub. … I never thought about the washing machine (being dangerous). I just want to make mothers and fathers aware that it's a possibility."
 
I can totally buy this being an accident. Today my 6 year old asked me if he could help with the laundry and I said "sure throw a pod in the washer for me". He pulled up a stool and threw it in and then watched it dissolve as the machine filled up. He loved to watch it melt and all the colours dissolving together. He could have easily slipped if the stool gave way and fell head first into the machine. I think just the momentum would have allowed his head to thrust through even if the space between the sides and centre agitator was too tight and there is no way he could have gotten out again especially with the stool gone out from under him. His legs would just be dangling. Add to this the shock of entering either ice cold or scalding hot water head first. Yikes. I've learned my lesson reading this and my son won't be doing this again but I can totally see it being a plausible accident.
 
My Mom and Dad have a Kenmore that doesn't stop agitating when you lift the lid. It does stop spinning if you lift the lid while it's rinsing though. I don't remember the model type but it's a fairly new machine. I used it in June and hadn't seen a washer that didn't stop agitating when you lifted the lid in years so that's why I noticed. Could be that the lid switch was broken on that family's washer and they hadn't fixed it yet.

If his parents have a similar type machine (or one with a broken lid switch) and he opened the lid (either doing chores or playing around with it like kids are known to do) and an article of his clothing got stuck on say for example the agitator and it pulled him down, in, and his head under the water?

All of the stories I remember (I didnt' google) of children dying because of washing machines were younger children. Although I do remember hearing of someone that got an arm ripped off because they were adding or removing items from a washer during it's cycle.

Bless his heart.

You know, I caught my kids playing with the dryer once. I was in the house but I was mopping a floor in the kitchen and for some reason they decided to see what would happen if they got into the dryer and turned it on. I'm glad I caught them before they had a chance to test that out. Kids do the darndest things sometimes. That was the only time they tried that. Since he was 8 years old it just seems more odd that he would drown in the washer but I think that it's possible that it was a freak accident. JMHO
 
An eight year old isn't tall enough to lean over the side of the washing machine without standing on something like a chair. I hope they investigate this very carefully.

MOO

He absolutely is. My 9 and my 5.5 have been helping with laundry. They can both stand in front of the washer and reach in. We have already had a discussion about reaching in there and how to use the shut off.

This is a horrible tragedy.
 
My hideous old washer doesn't stop if the lid is lifted. It will not "continue" the load by rotating it - but it WILL fill up with water, and then it will wait for the lid to close to continue.

I wonder if he hit his head or even got stuck while it was filling up. I can't see an 8 year old submerging his head in a full machine, but it could have been empty or only just starting. Maybe he dropped something in there while he was starting a load?

This makes sense to me- he may have tried to get something out that he dropped in, or didn't mean to put in. Reached over too far and banged his head or got stuck or something.
 
I can not site the source but will be happy to provide it to Admin..

This child had some special issues. Doing laundry was something his therapist was working on with him.

The think that he may have dropped something and tried to retrieve it. He is not a strong boy.
 
An eight year old isn't tall enough to lean over the side of the washing machine without standing on something like a chair. I hope they investigate this very carefully.

MOO

You totally confused me with that but I got it now...washing machines over here have the door on the front and I'm guess ones in the USA are top loaders?

How does a 8yr old end up head first in the washing machine in the first place,I mean at eight surely there is enough common sense not to do stuff like that

Sent from my 'alternate reality' using my hippocampus
 

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