Dog saves boy, 5, trapped in tumble-dryer

A five-year-old boy has suffered burns after getting trapped in a tumble-dryer – but he was saved from more serious injuries when the family dog raised the alarm.

Little Riley Gedge-Duffy was playing hide-and-seek in his Co Down home on Sunday afternoon when he climbed into the dryer and it automatically turned on.

His father Aaron Duffy has spoken out about the harrowing incident.

“Our family dog alerted my wife that something was up,” he said.

“When she went into the utility room, Riley was in the tumble-dryer with his iPad, going round and round – he’d obviously closed himself in.”

Riley’s dad got him into a cold shower as paramedics were called and the little boy was then taken to the Ulster Hospital.

As well as burns, he also has a lot of bumps and bruises and needs further X-rays to make sure no bones are broken.

“He’s in good enough form,” Aaron said, but he added that he was horrified to think of what could have happened.

“I didn’t think it was possible to actually close the dryer door from inside … Riley’s got Down’s syndrome, you see, so he’s not aware of the dangers.

“To him, it’s probably just a nice wee hidey-hole.”

Meanwhile, Teddy the dog is once again the hero of the hour – he previously raised the alarm when a phone charger caught fire, saving the family from a potential blaze.