London - A British boy escaped serious injury after being carried through an airport's automated baggage system after climbing onto a conveyor belt, officials said on Wednesday.
The seven-year-old child was spotted by a member of staff after he was sent through an automated X-ray machine, where the operator thought he was a doll and sent him down a chute to be checked by hand.
The boy, who has Down's Syndrome, escaped without any significant injuries, said a spokesperson for Stansted, London's third-busiest airport.
"In the end it was a bit of an adventure for the boy and he wasn't hurt," spokesperson Robbie Barrigan said. "But obviously it was a real scare. These belts travel at high speed and are designed for bags, not human beings. He was very lucky."
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The child was among a group travelling to the Catholic pilgrimage shrine of Lourdes, south-western France, when he wandered away on his own when his carer was not looking.
"He was shaken up but fine and was able to travel on to France," Barrigan said, adding that an investigation had been launched. - Sapa-AFP
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This article was originally published on page 7 of The Mercury on April 15, 2004
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