Second toddler reportedly gets stuck inside Missouri claw machine

Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAYFri, March 6, 2026 at 12:56 AM UTC

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Second toddler reportedly gets stuck inside Missouri claw machine

Weeks after a toddler got stuck inside a claw machine in Missouri, another toddler had to be rescued from the same machine, according to multiple reports.

Local news outlets First Alert 4 and WBAL-TV11 reported that 3-year-old Patrick Campbell was at the Soccer Dome at Vetta Sports in Webster Groves, Missouri, when he climbed into the claw machine. Neither TV station specified when the mishap occurred, just that it was during a recent visit.

Webster Groves is a suburb located in western St. Louis, some 9 miles west of downtown. Patrick’s father, Ryan, told First Alert 4 that he was watching his daughter’s soccer game when Patrick wandered off and climbed inside the machine.

On the other hand, Patrick had a simple reason for climbing into the machine. “I get ball,” Patrick told First Alert 4.

According to WBAL-TV11, Patrick managed to get out of the machine once his father convinced him to crawl out.

USA TODAY contacted Soccer Dome at Vetta Sports on March 5, but has not received a response.

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Missouri claw machine draws toddlers

Patrick hasn't been the only child to get stuck in the same claw machine in recent weeks. Back in early February, a child, identified as Cooper, crawled his way into the same machine.

The toddler's mother, Margaret King, told Storyful that she was watching her other son's game when Cooper snuck into the machine.

“We were within 15 feet of him and looked away for a good 15 seconds to watch our son on the field, and next thing I heard was my name being called to let us know Cooper was playing in the ball claw machine,” King said.

Cooper was eventually freed by a claw machine technician with a key after about 20 minutes of him playing inside the game. According to First Alert 4, the back-to-back incidents have prompted local firefighters to put together a special toolkit in case another child decides to play inside the claw machine.

USA TODAY’s Taylor Ardrey contributed to this report.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Second toddler gets stuck inside Missouri claw machine, reports say

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