I thought drowning in a washing machine was impossible in the 21st Century. I thought all machines had safety measures to avoid accidents, like kids falling inside. Apparently, I was mistaken.
That’s what happened to a 10-year-old kid in São Paulo, Brazil. She grabbed a stool, put it next to a top-loading washing machine, looked inside, and fell. Her father—a humble waiter who was sleeping on the living room—found her inside, only her legs sticking out. Sadly, she was dead. They weren’t able to take her out, so firemen had to break it open.
I thought that washing machines stopped automatically whenever they are open, as a safety measure. In fact, I thought washing machines never opened if they were full of water and running. Maybe that’s not the case in Brazil. Or maybe it’s just the case for more expensive models. Or perhaps the safety mechanism was broken. Whatever it was, it’s sad just the same. [El Mundo]
