Mom looked away for 15 seconds while her 2-year-old pretended to play at a claw machine — then a terrified scream stopped her cold and 911 was called
A mother’s brief glance toward a soccer field was all it took for her toddler to slip out of sight. At an indoor sports center in Webster Groves, Missouri, Margaret King was standing close to her two-year-old son Cooper while watching her older child’s game. On February 7, 2026, she looked away for about 15 seconds as Cooper pretended to play with a claw machine nearby. As reported by PEOPLE, that short moment led to a situation no parent expects in a public place. Within seconds, someone called her name in alarm and pointed toward the arcade area, where Cooper was no longer standing outside the machine.
When King turned back, she realized her son was not just near the machine but inside it. "We were within 15 feet of him and looked away for a good 15 seconds to watch our son on the field," she told FOX 4. Somehow, he had managed to climb into the glass unit filled with toy balls. She later said, “If anyone knew my son Cooper, they would totally understand that he would do something like this.” Cooper appeared cheerful and unaware of the trouble. He was smiling, tossing the balls, and treating it like a play space. From the outside, adults gathered quickly, trying to understand how he had entered and how to get him out safely. The machine was locked, and there was no clear way for him to exit on his own.
King and others first tried to guide him calmly. “We were like ‘Cooper, try to go back down,’ and he was just shaking his head,” the mom said, recollecting the terrifying experience. He did not seem frightened, but he also could not follow their directions. Realizing they needed help, King called 911. Police officers and firefighters arrived within minutes and examined the machine. They discussed options while Cooper continued playing inside. Video later showed first responders standing around the machine as the toddler moved among the toy balls. King said he was “perfectly fine, safe and having a ball,” even as adults worked carefully to resolve the situation.
After about twenty minutes, a service technician from the vending company arrived with a key to unlock the machine. Once opened, Cooper was safely taken out and checked over. He was unharmed and calm. The moment ended with relief for everyone involved. Video of the rescue later spread online and drew wide attention. Some people questioned why the claw was not used to lift him out. King responded with humor, saying she did not have enough change left to try. She expressed that the unexpected viral attention surprised her at first, but in some ways, it did not. She felt the moment, while stressful at the time, was also lighthearted once people saw that Cooper was safe. “In today’s world, everyone needs someone funny on their TV, and what’s not funny about a 2-year-old playing in a claw machine?” she commented. She also shared that she and her husband remained calm and that the staff at the center were supportive throughout the incident.
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