News

Off-Duty Firefighter Eating Dinner Spots Small Boy Trapped in Claw Machine

By Kara Pendleton February 9, 2018 at 9:35am

Arcade games are fun, appealing, and found almost everywhere. Some offer only the fun of game play in return, but others offer tickets redeemable for prizes.

But the claw machine offers instant prizes for those skilled enough and lucky enough to get the sometimes a-little-too-loose claws grasped securely around a desirable prize.

Of course, that prize has to stay securely grasped all the way to the prize drop and not fall out of the ever-swinging claws while it moves into position for prize retrieval.

The wide array of colorful prizes packed inside the machine creates an eye-catching display for adult and child alike.

The temptation to give winning a prize a try can be too much for even the most resolute, but for a child it can become like the fabled siren’s call.

So when young Mason, who was out with his mom and family friends at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s restaurant, saw the toy-filled wonder, he also heard that siren’s call.

Unbeknownst to mom and the others, the boy managed to slip away and climb through the prize retrieval door and up into the machine, to sit in the midst of a pile of stuffed animals.

There is no word how long the child was sitting there, stuck inside, but fortunately for him, help was close by. An off-duty Titusille Fire Department lieutenant was eating at sports bar when he saw Mason in the claw machine.

Springing into action, the lieutenant “assessed the situation.” Back-up was then called in to help safely retrieve the boy, according to a Facebook post by Titusville Fire and Emergency Services.

In the post, it was reported that “Engine 10 led by Lt. Abernathy, made short work of the situation. Driver Operator Lane and Firefighter George were able to get Mason out in short order with minimal damage to the game.”

Florida Today wrote that the noted “short work of the situation” was an effort that literally only took a few minutes.

The article explained that “Rescue personnel responded to the call at 5:33 p.m. and were able to retrieve the boy by 5:41 p.m.”

In the Facebook post it was revealed that Mason “was never in any distress” and that after the rescue, “Mom, Mason and friends went back to eating dinner, E10 back to their station to await the next call.”

But Mason didn’t go back to eating his dinner empty-handed. According to Florida Today, Mason had originally gone into the machine to get a stuffed football and Titusville Fire Department Battalion Chief Greg Sutton said, “He came out with some toys. He did end up with what he was after.”

While some on social media blasted Mason’s mom and thought she should have to pay for the “minimal damage” and fire department response, most were just happy that Mason was safe and escaped any kind of injury.

He is not the first child to climb into a claw machine and surely won’t be the last, so it is always a good thing when that siren’s call does not lead them into any kind of doom.

Submit a Correction →