Detroit Fire Department rescues 11-year-old stuck in toddler swing

DETROIT (WJBK) - The Detroit Fire Department was called to an unusual situation this week when an 11-year-old boy decided to climb into a toddler swing - and got stuck.

The boy spent more than an hour stuck in the swing that's made for toddlers and babies outside the Farwll Recreation Center near 7 Mile and Outer Drive. The swing even has a warning that reads "WARNING, this swing seat has been designed for very small children only under adult supervision."

"We see a lot of weird stuff but you don't see an 11-year-old stuck in a toddler swing too often," Michigan State Police Trooper Mark Bessner said.

Tuesday afternoon, Bessner and his partner rolled up to the park to find a crowd of people and a firetruck.

"Then we looked and saw firefighters walking with halogens and some tools and though 'we gotta see what's going on'," Bessner said.

There they saw 11-year-old LaVaughn. He was stuck inside a swing that was much too small. After struggling for 45 minutes, his dad called 911.

"He was like 'ahhh I've been in here for an hour! Over an hour!'" Kamaal Greene with the Detroit Fire Department said.

Greene and his team from Squad 5 tried to pull LaVaughn out but it was futile.

"He had been in there so long that his thighs swelled up and they really couldn't extract him from those tiny toddler leg holes," Bessner said.

Trooper Bessner put his patrol car close enough so LaVaughn could rest his legs as firefighters cut the chains. However, the swing was still stuck on his thighs.

"They still couldn't get it off so they attempted to use handsnips but that toddler seat is just a piece of metal covered in rubber," Bessner said.

"He started crying a little bit just cause it hurt," Greene said.

Eventually, the fire department had to use a special saw to cut him out.

"We started cutting, making sure we don't cut him of course. We cut just enough so we could bend the metal enough to pull him out," Greene said.

15 minutes later, a large crowd watched as LaVaughn was finally freed. 

Bressner said he and his partner were impressed by Squad 5's quick action and persistence to free the boy.

"Detroit fire they're true heroes. Not only do they fight fires all the time but they respond to calls like that," Bessner said. "They're just a great resource and sometimes under appreciated."

It seems LaVaughn was impressed as well. He told Greene that he might become a fireman after this.