Toddler trapped in washing machine

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Copy Link

  Link Copied

Police in Camden, New Jersey are searching for a family shown in a shocking viral video. The surveillance video was shot on May 11 at a Camden Laundromat.

It shows the father putting the child in the machine, apparently as part of a “peek-a-boo” game.  He then shut the door, which locked and started an automatic cycle with the child inside. The parents frantically pulled on the door for a few seconds as the child continued to spin, then ran to get help. An employee, Kong Eng, then quickly unplugged the machine.

The child, who did not appear to be hurt, was pulled to safety. The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office tells NBC News they are still trying to locate and identify the family. They also claim workers called police when the incident happened but the family was not there because they went to the hospital. The father of the child came back to collect his laundry about an hour later and claimed his son was okay, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

Police still want to find the family and verify the child’s condition. Authorities say the matter does not appear to be criminal, but it has been referred to the state’s Division of Youth and Family Services.