LYNCHBURG, Va. – An update on a story we first brought you on Tuesday about a child being removed from playground equipment in Lynchburg. City leaders say it was a 12-year-old boy who got stuck in one of the holes in the "Cozy Dome" at Riverside Park. They say the boy got his head and torso through but was stuck at the waist. City officials gave WSLS a demonstration of how they use a hip and head size template to test the safety of the equipment for children 5 to 12 years old. Lynchburg city crews do a monthly inspection and their main focus is to prevent strangulation.
"We double-check the equipment. We've double-checked with the manufacturer. They're still convinced that the equipment meets safety standards. And while this is something that the boy was inconvenienced and probably a bit scared at no time was he truly in any danger of physical harm,” Clay Simmons, deputy director of Public Works Department, said.
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The manufacturing company has volunteered to replace the Cozy Dome and put up plates to retrofit and block off the big holes. The city says Riverside Park is the only park with the Cozy Dome, and this is the first time they've had to remove someone from it. They hope to have it replaced within the next month.