A 9-year-old Warren girl is recovering in Akron Children's Hospital, after an incident that changed her life forever.
Her arm was caught in a washing machine Monday night, and unfortunately, it was an accident that could have been prevented.
The Warren Fire Department responded to 263 Atlantic Northeast in Warren Monday night.
A nine-year-old girl had her arm caught inside of a working washing machine.
Chief Ken Nussle with the Warren Fire Department said, "When you have body parts caught in there, this isn't something that's routine to the fire department, so it had to be very delicate on how we disassembled the machine."
The girl's name hasn't been released, but we know she was flown to Akron Children's Hospital and is in stable condition. Doctors originally thought the girl's arm would need to be amputated, but now they think she will get to keep her arm, but she could have limited ability.
Washing machines normally shut off when the top or door is opened. They've been made that way since the 1950s. But Bill Farragher of Farragher's Appliance Repair said sometimes the safety switch that shuts off the washer stops working.
"There are models out there that you can still jump out that would, you know, let the machine perform with the lid open."
He also said fixing the part only costs about $20 to $25.
"It's not that costly, so it's foolish not to get it repaired just for the safety features."
"These machines can be dangerous, and we're not supposed to be putting our arms or anything inside of it because it can cause damage," added Chief Nussle.
