Boy whose left arm got caught in Puregold escalator declared out of danger, doctors save arm

Manila Bulletin Online reports that seven-year-old Felix Aparehado’s arm was caught in an escalator inside Puregold Monumento in Caloocan City on Wednesday night (February 22). He was brought to the Manila Central University hospital.

The Manilla Bulletin Online report cited the account of the boy’s aunt, Melody Aparehado, who had gone to  the store with Felix and her sons. Then, she had to go to the ladies’ room, leaving Felix to play with her sons near the escalator. When she went got out of the ladies’ room, she was reportedly "shocked to see her nephew already snagged to the side of the escalator." According to Melody’s son (who was not named in the report), Felix had tripped and his left arm had gotten "caught in the escalator’s belt."

A TV Patrol report (via ABS-CBNNews.com) later revealed that Felix had undergone a four-hour operation. Puregold is footing the bill for his operations and hospital stay. Fortunately, the doctors had managed to save Felix’s arm from being amputated. The report noted that it took a few hours before the rescue team could free Felix from the escalator. Based on various reports about the incident, the ordeal could have taken anywhere from two to five hours.

The TV Patrol report added that Puregold’s management has said they will get in touch with the escalator’s manufacturer.

For more on this story, log on to Manila Bulletin Online and ABS-CBNNews.com.