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WEST VALLEY CITY -- A toddler is recovering after getting trapped inside a spinning clothes dryer.
It happened late Wednesday night at a family party near 3600 South and 3000 West in West Valley City.
A 2-year-old boy from a visiting family wandered in the home and then climbed into an open clothes dryer. Sgt. John Pearce with the West Valley Police Department said a broken safety switch allowed the dryer to start.
"The safety switch wasn't activated, so (the dryer) turned itself on when the door became almost closed," he explained.
Family members quickly pulled the toddler out of the dryer. He was alert and crying but suffered substantial head injuries. He was flown to a hospital but is expected to recover.
Kevin Condra with the Salt Lake Valley Health Department said while these kinds of incidents don't happen often, parents still need to be aware they're possible.
"When my boys were little a pediatrician told me, and it was just something I held onto," Condra said. "They said, 'You know, just when you think you've childproofed the house, get down at their level.' What he meant was, he said physically kneel down and look to see what your toddler can see."
Police are investigating to see if there was any negligence, but they say it appears to be an accident.
E-mail: rjeppesen@ksl.com
