A child is safe after climbing into and getting stuck inside a claw crane machine at a bowling alley Monday.Lincoln police said it started with a mom frantically searching for her 3-year-old boy at her apartment around 5:30 p.m. She called police immediately.-- Video: Toddler climbs into vending machineAcross the street, patrons at a nearby bowling alley made the startling discovery -- a little boy sitting with stuffed animals inside the machine.Employees called the vendor, who quickly arrived and opened the machine to let the boy out.Police investigating the missing child report nearby were flagged down by a patron, who told officers about the boy.Soon after, the mother was reunited with the child, who is doing fine. The vendor even gave the boy a stuffed animal from the machine.Police said the mother was not cited because she contacted police as soon as she realized her son was missing.

A child is safe after climbing into and getting stuck inside a claw crane machine at a bowling alley Monday.

Lincoln police said it started with a mom frantically searching for her 3-year-old boy at her apartment around 5:30 p.m. She called police immediately.

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-- Video: Toddler climbs into vending machine

Across the street, patrons at a nearby bowling alley made the startling discovery -- a little boy sitting with stuffed animals inside the machine.

Employees called the vendor, who quickly arrived and opened the machine to let the boy out.

Police investigating the missing child report nearby were flagged down by a patron, who told officers about the boy.

Soon after, the mother was reunited with the child, who is doing fine. The vendor even gave the boy a stuffed animal from the machine.

Police said the mother was not cited because she contacted police as soon as she realized her son was missing.