Escalator Danger
Our family had a very traumatic experience this last Saturday. We had some family friends in town, the Brown Family, and their 2 children visiting us for the weekend. With Saturday being too cold to do any outdoor activity we chose to go to the mall. The kids had a wonderful time in the play area, loved the carousel, and we all had lunch in the food court. The 2 older girls walked while we had Phoebe and Max (about 4 weeks younger than Phoebe) in small umbrella strollers.
The lines for the elevator are horrible on Saturdays because apparently everyone is there that has a child in a huge stroller. We opted to use the escalators instead since we only had the small strollers. We had already been up once before, and we were heading back down to go to our cars. Phoebe and I were halfway back up on the escalator from BJ and the rest of them, with a bunch of people in between us. They were getting near the bottom when all of a sudden I see BJ turn around with pure panic on his face yelling "Emergency! Stop! Stop! Emergency! Hit the button!" My first thought was that something horrible was happening to Sophia, otherwise, why would it be HIM freaking out? My second thought was that they were getting near the bottom where the steps even out. So if Sophia, or a part of her, was stuck what would happen once they reached the bottom? My whole body ached at that moment. I felt sick and shaky all over. My heart was sinking as I was moving my head around trying to see if it truly was her. I saw BJ's hand grabbing at a foot with a dark blue shoe attached to it.....whew, not her! But yet, SOMEONE'S child is hurt! BJ and Spencer jumped off in time to hit the emergency button which immediately stopped the machine. Everyone on the escalator seemed frozen and people around us were already gathering and looking. This boy was crying and screaming pretty loudly and BJ had been yelling loudly as well. When he wants to he sure can have a loud, deep voice, and in that moment he used it! I looked down to see BJ now holding Sophia safely in his arms. I began shaking slightly again and crying. Sophia saw me and her face twisted in upset and she reached her arms up to me saying "Mom! Mommy!" I called down to BJ that I thought it was her. Spencer came back up and helped me down with Phoebe and we went on our way. The boy was with his mother, minus one shoe, and few other women who were helping her.
BJ later explained that the boy was right behind him and he heard the mom saying "Help, help!" He turned around to see the boy's foot stuck in the side of the escalator. He pulled on his leg and it would NOT move, BJ said. That is when he stood up and started yelling and pulling more. The escalator had not been stopped by anyone yet so he jumped off and with Spencer's help got it to stop. Apparently, once it was not moving anymore it was easy to slide the boy's foot out of the shoe, but the shoe was stuck in there tight. BJ said what scared him was the fact he couldn't get the boy's foot out, even though he was pulling very hard, and therefore was sure it was his foot that was hurt and not simply the shoe.
Even on the way to our car I found myself tearing up off and on and I couldn't stop feeling sick to my stomach. What got me the most was that for a moment I truly thought it was my child. This whole situation only took seconds, but it is enough to mark me for life! Just seeing everything happen and knowing how often I am on escalators will make me be more careful with myself and my children when being on one. I can't get these images out of my head, and I still can't help feeling heartbroken at the idea I thought it was her. She asked me on the way home, and for the last two days "What happened to the little boy?" Apparently this situation has stuck with her as well. We passed by another escalator on our way to the car and she seemed very cautious and unsure just WALKING BY the thing! I never want to go through something like this again. Please, everyone who is reading this with small children, be very careful when using an escalator! This could have happened to anyone!
The lines for the elevator are horrible on Saturdays because apparently everyone is there that has a child in a huge stroller. We opted to use the escalators instead since we only had the small strollers. We had already been up once before, and we were heading back down to go to our cars. Phoebe and I were halfway back up on the escalator from BJ and the rest of them, with a bunch of people in between us. They were getting near the bottom when all of a sudden I see BJ turn around with pure panic on his face yelling "Emergency! Stop! Stop! Emergency! Hit the button!" My first thought was that something horrible was happening to Sophia, otherwise, why would it be HIM freaking out? My second thought was that they were getting near the bottom where the steps even out. So if Sophia, or a part of her, was stuck what would happen once they reached the bottom? My whole body ached at that moment. I felt sick and shaky all over. My heart was sinking as I was moving my head around trying to see if it truly was her. I saw BJ's hand grabbing at a foot with a dark blue shoe attached to it.....whew, not her! But yet, SOMEONE'S child is hurt! BJ and Spencer jumped off in time to hit the emergency button which immediately stopped the machine. Everyone on the escalator seemed frozen and people around us were already gathering and looking. This boy was crying and screaming pretty loudly and BJ had been yelling loudly as well. When he wants to he sure can have a loud, deep voice, and in that moment he used it! I looked down to see BJ now holding Sophia safely in his arms. I began shaking slightly again and crying. Sophia saw me and her face twisted in upset and she reached her arms up to me saying "Mom! Mommy!" I called down to BJ that I thought it was her. Spencer came back up and helped me down with Phoebe and we went on our way. The boy was with his mother, minus one shoe, and few other women who were helping her.
BJ later explained that the boy was right behind him and he heard the mom saying "Help, help!" He turned around to see the boy's foot stuck in the side of the escalator. He pulled on his leg and it would NOT move, BJ said. That is when he stood up and started yelling and pulling more. The escalator had not been stopped by anyone yet so he jumped off and with Spencer's help got it to stop. Apparently, once it was not moving anymore it was easy to slide the boy's foot out of the shoe, but the shoe was stuck in there tight. BJ said what scared him was the fact he couldn't get the boy's foot out, even though he was pulling very hard, and therefore was sure it was his foot that was hurt and not simply the shoe.
Even on the way to our car I found myself tearing up off and on and I couldn't stop feeling sick to my stomach. What got me the most was that for a moment I truly thought it was my child. This whole situation only took seconds, but it is enough to mark me for life! Just seeing everything happen and knowing how often I am on escalators will make me be more careful with myself and my children when being on one. I can't get these images out of my head, and I still can't help feeling heartbroken at the idea I thought it was her. She asked me on the way home, and for the last two days "What happened to the little boy?" Apparently this situation has stuck with her as well. We passed by another escalator on our way to the car and she seemed very cautious and unsure just WALKING BY the thing! I never want to go through something like this again. Please, everyone who is reading this with small children, be very careful when using an escalator! This could have happened to anyone!
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