Shocking video shows boy getting sucked under Peloton treadmill
Confronting video footage has been released of the moment a young boy can be seen playing near a treadmill before getting sucked under it.
American regulators have warned people to stop using popular Peloton treadmills if they have children or pets after one child died and dozens were injured.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission says it has received multiple reports of children and animals being pulled underneath the Tread+ machine and becoming trapped, The Sun reports.
The brand, which is set to launch in Australia later this year, has had 39 treadmill incidents involving dozens of children, according to the US commission.
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The commission said the majority of the incidents resulted in injuries, including the one death.
It posted a video on its Facebook page of one child being pulled under the treadmill – sales of which soared during COVID lockdowns in the US.
In the chilling video, a little girl is seen walking on the treadmill which is turned on then a little boy then walks behind and picks up a pink ball.
He holds the ball toward the back of the treadmill and the ball is seen being pulled under the machine, dragging the boy’s arms with it.
This appears to cause the treadmill to stop moving as the boy’s arms lift the machine slightly off the ground.
The little girl gets off the treadmill and runs off camera while the boy appears to be stuck.
At this point, the treadmill resumes a faster speed, dragging the boy further underneath
He continues to be pulled under more and more until only his legs are sticking out.
The child manages to pull himself back out and is then seen walking away.
Of the 39 incidents, 23 involved children, according to New York-based Peloton Interactive Inc, 15 included objects like medicine balls, and one included a pet, it said.
Peloton – which is worth $34 billion – said in a statement that the warning from the safety commission was inaccurate and misleading.
It said there’s no reason to stop using the treadmill as long as children and pets are kept away from it at all times, it is turned off when not in use, and a safety key is removed.
But the safety commission said that in at least one episode, a child was pulled under the treadmill while a parent was running on it, suggesting it can be dangerous to children even while a parent is present.
If adults want to keep using the treadmill, the commission said, they should use it only in a locked room so children and pets can’t come near it.
When not in use, the treadmill should be unplugged and the safety key taken out and hidden away.
The commission also said to keep exercise balls and other objects away from it, because those have been pulled under the treadmill, too.
Peloton is best known for its stationary bikes, but it introduced the $US4000 ($A5000) treadmill about three years ago and now calls it the Tread+.
Sales of Peloton equipment have soared during the pandemic as virus-weary people avoid gyms and workout at home instead.
The company brought in $US1 billion in revenue in the last three months of 2020, more than double its revenue from the same period a year before.
The commission did not say how many of the Peloton treadmills have been sold.
The high-end indoor exercise bike, which comes with a built-in screen connecting you to lifestream and on-demand classes, will launch in Australia this year with classes streamed via studios in London and New York, before it hires local trainers.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
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