Mom says daughter trapped in front-loading washing machine as it filled with water

Sonja Haller | USA TODAY

Corrections and clarifications: An earlier version of this post featured a stock image that misrepresented the brand of the washer involved.

A Colorado mom awoke to a nightmare.

Lindsey McIver said she and her husband were awakened early one morning last week to find her 4-year-old son crying so hard he could barely talk.

“As I was trying to understand what he was saying, my husband flew out of bed and down the stairs. It was then that the realization hit. He had said: Kloe. Inside. Washer.”

Their 3-year-old daughter was inside the washing machine. It was locked. It was filling with water.

Kids told not to touch it

McIver said she decided to share what happened in a Facebook post, though she feared reliving the ordeal and inevitable mom shaming.

The couple purchased a "new and cool" front-loading washing machine on July 9.

The parents told the kids several times NOT TO TOUCH IT.

The kids replied OK. But ... kids.

Early the next morning, they were awakened by their crying 4-year-old son and they found their daughter Kloe locked inside the airtight washing machine, according to the post.

"It was tumbling and filling with water. She was screaming but you couldn’t hear her."

They quickly unlocked the door and got their daughter out. She suffered a couple of small bumps on her head, but otherwise was fine.

The washer had never been used

McIver said that she hadn't even had time to use the washer yet. As such, she was unfamiliar with the features. One feature is a child lock that once engaged will not allow the washing machine to start.

"But it does not lock the door," she said. "Also, it obviously took two curious kids to pull this off. I want to encourage anybody who has this type of front loading washing machine and small children, or even grandkids who visit, to lock the door with a child safety lock and always keep the child lock setting on!"

The picture on Facebook shows the washer door with a child safety lock that the McIvers secured themselves.

Mistakes happen. And, yes, McIver said in her post, she realizes "there are ways we could've prevented this from happening."

'Help one another keep our kids safe'

Yet the value in this terrifying post is that it could prevent it from happening to someone else.

McIver said "inevitable online mom-shaming" gave her pause about posting her family's scary ordeal. But what won out was a desire for moms doing the best they can to help other moms protect their children.

"Shaming the mom doesn’t do anyone any good. We need to be open and honest about our mistakes to help one another keep our kids safe. And trust me, that mom is already beating herself up enough."

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