A 2-year-old boy got stuck trying to climb into a claw-based arcade machine early Thursday afternoon in an Allentown laundromat and never got his prize, the city fire department reports.

The child worked his way past the plastic guard beyond which plush toys are dispensed from a device in the play area at Papa's, 811 N. Seventh St., Capt. John Christopher said.

A "full rescue complement" of 11 firefighters, three police officers and EMS personnel responded along with several vehicles, but it only took a couple of them to remove the plastic door to get into the machine and remove the child not long after noon, Christopher said.

The child went into the chute head-first and came out feet-first, sort of a breech delivery, Christopher said.

The boy was shaken up and upset, but may have been more concerned about getting into trouble, the captain said.

The child's mother was relieved her son was OK and was thanking everyone she could, Christopher said. The boy was checked out by emergency medical personnel and his mother agreed to get him examined further, Christopher said.

The play area has a three-foot wall around it and where the child went in isn't immediately visible to someone washing clothes, Christopher said. It's possible the child had been working for some time to get into the machine, the captain said.

A few years ago at a different city location, a child made it all the way into the box that holds the toys, Christopher said.

Not this time.

"I said somebody should give him a toy," Christopher said, before adding, "Everything worked out really well."

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.