The boy's family had just returned after a day in the water. The father left the family's large cooler open to dry out. Within seconds, their 5-year-old son climbed in, accidentally locking himself inside.
"It was an awful scream, as if a child had fallen and gotten really hurt," said Rob Wanes, the boy's father.
Maria Wanes, the boy's mother, said, "We came running out and you couldn't tell where the scream was coming from. Finally, Rob turned and looked to the cooler, opened it up and he was in there."
Luckily, they were able to get the child out quickly. The family has asked Igloo to add safety features.
Igloo responded by issuing a safety alert. In a statement the company said, "It is possible that the stainless-steel latch could, inadvertently close where a person could potentially become locked inside. We are working closely with West Marine to send customers a free latch-replacement kit that you can use to easily and safely switch out the current latch."
The models in the recall include:
Igloo Marine Elite 72 quart; Item #00049375
Igloo Marine Elite 54 quart; Item #00049374
Igloo Marine Elite 94 quart; Item #00049574
Igloo Marine Elite 110 quart; Item #00034108