Hello Kitty toy trap lures boy into smash and grab

An eager three-year-old who took the direct approach while trying to win a shopping centre toy, has ended up stuck inside a claw machine.

Ethan Hopper loves "skills testers" and was trying his luck while his family were standing outside Coles at a Capalaba, south of Brisbane, on Saturday night.

His father Timothy looked away for a second and suddenly the curious tyke had crawled into the prize dispenser chute.

"Head in, bum in, I had no time to react," Mr Hopper said.

A three-year-old boy who ended up stuck inside a claw machine has been saved by Queensland police.

"At first, it was funny and I couldn’t help but laugh."

Then reality sank in and he had to figure out how to get Ethan, who was "having the time of his life", out of the machine. 

“I called my dad and he said, 'How many $2 coins do you have? We can try and win him back'," Mr Hopper said.

Earlier, police released a video of the unusual rescue where they extracted the little boy by smashing the glass.

"This is a first in 11 years of policing. I didn't expect this one to come up," responding officer Senior Constable Stuart Power said.

Despite the police presence, Ethan was in no rush to get out, with the video showing the youngster with a grin plastered across his face as he sat among a pile of popular Japanese character Hello Kitty plush toys.

Ethan's parents had to coax him to the back corner of the machine so officers could safely remove him.

"Ethan cover your eyes. Hide," his mother told him as officers smashed the enclosure before lifting the toddler to safety.

"You won a prize. Which one do you want?" a police officer asked as Ethan stood with his family.

During a Brisbane press conference on Thursday the little boy received another gift as well - a koala in police uniform - to remember the ordeal. 

Although Ethan was a little overwhelmed by the media presence, he was quick to hug Sen Const Power to say thank you.

"Police are his favourite people," Mr Hopper said.

The family has since walked past the now-replaced claw machine but Ethan seems to have learnt his lesson.

"He pointed to the machine and said, 'Don’t worry Dad, I won’t do it again'," Mr Hopper said.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store