A GIRL aged three has died after apparently clambering into her parents’ tumble dryer and suffocating.
Georgina Bywater’s body is believed to have been discovered by her sister Emily, 6, after she apparently shut herself in the dryer at her family home in the West Midlands. Georgina seems to have climbed into the dryer out of curiosity, early on Friday, becoming trapped in the appliance while her mother and older sister slept. The body was found some time after 7am.
Unlike freezers and refrigerators, dryers cannot be opened from the inside.
Nick Bywater, the girl’s father, who lives separately from his family in the Black Country, said that he had been with Georgina the night before he died. “Genie was always looking for adventure and just adored playing around with her sister Emily,” he said.
“It seems that Genie got up at about 5.30am and went for a walk around the house; she must have decided to climb into the dryer. Somehow, the door shut behind her and she got trapped.”
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The girl was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. Police are investigating.
West Midlands Police would not confirm the make or model of the appliance. A police spokesman also refused to disclose where in the house the girl’s body was found and to confirm or deny reports that she was discovered in the appliance. The cause of death — thought to be suffocation — is to be established in a postmortem examination today.
Roger Vincent, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said that deaths involving household appliances such as tumble dryers were rare.
“We will have to wait for the outcome of an inquest to see what has happened on this occasion,” he said.