Five-Month-Old Baby Dies After Mom Left Him On Conveyor Belt At Airport

September 20, 2013

A baby was killed on an airport baggage carousel in Spain after his family arrived from Gatwick on holiday.

His mother had momentarily placed the five-month-old boy down on the conveyer belt, which was not running at the time.

But when she turned away to reach something, it suddenly started.

The little boy was carried around to the portal where bags emerge, and became entangled in the mechanism.

He was declared dead at the scene, in the baggage hall of Alicante- Elche airport.

The unnamed family, which included an older child, had flown from London with easyJet.

The woman’s husband, who had travelled separately, was waiting to greet his family in the arrivals hall to start their holiday on the Costa Blanca.

After disembarking from the plane shortly before midnight on Wednesday, the mother and her two children entered the terminal and arrived at the baggage reclaim area.

Police sources said that the boy’s mother placed him on a special baggage belt reserved for the collection of larger suitcases, pushchairs and musical instruments.

However, it was then switched on – apparently automatically triggered by the weight of the boy and the baby carrier he was strapped into.

One airport security worker said: ‘The mother apparently put him down on the conveyor belt when she went to reach for something, but then it started up.’

Witnesses said the whole episode unfolded in seconds, leaving no chance for the mother to react in time.

Paramedics rushed to the baby’s aid, but his injuries were so severe they were unable to save him. He was pronounced dead by the airport’s on-call doctor.

The family were said to be travelling to the nearby resort town of Denia.

It was reported last night that the mother is American and her husband Canadian, and they had flown via London for their holiday.

Officials could not confirm the exact circumstances of the death.

Sources at the airport, formerly called El Altet, would only say that the baby ‘suffered an accident on the belt’.

Emergency services said they were asked to provide counselling for the mother and father.

The couple and their other child are staying at the hotel where they were due to be holidaying as they deal with the aftermath of the tragedy.

The Guardia Civil said it was investigating what happened, but said it was currently being considered as an accident.

A spokesman said: ‘We are still in the early stages of the investigation and looking at CCTV footage, but it seems that it was an accident.

‘The mother left the baby on the conveyor belt, which can be activated by detecting weight or by an airport employee.

‘It seems that the baby carrier’s weight activated the belt and the child was trapped in the rollers in the drop zone.’

The US Embassy in Madrid said consular officials were aware of the incident and providing assistance.

The Canadian Embassy in Madrid would not comment.

Alicante airport is the sixth busiest in Spain based on passenger numbers. It is the main airport for the province, which is a popular summer holiday destination for thousands of Britons, many of whom own homes in the region.

The weather there is still sunny and warm, with temperatures nearing 30C (86F) this week, making it an attractive destination as a cold spell grips northern Europe.

Last month, a two-year-old girl on holiday there fell into a swimming pool and drowned as her mother slept in a hammock nearby.

Police said Isabella May Crump was staying at a relative’s villa on the coast with her parents, grandparents and four-year-old brother when the tragedy happened.

Her mother, Deborah Ridgway, 26, woke up to see her daughter’s body floating in the water.

News from : Dailymail