Two Fingertips Of 5-Year-Old Girl Severed In Freak Playground Accident

A 5-year-old girl was rushed to hospital after two of her fingertips were severed in a freak playground accident in Sydney, Australia, on Monday.

The emergency services were called in at Strathfield Park on Homebush Road after the girl's hand got stuck in the carousel in the children's play area, Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The girl was taken to The Children's Hospital at Westmead for emergency surgery. Crews from Fire and Rescue New South Wales arrived at the scene before 1:30 pm Monday (10:30 pm ET Sunday) after the child's injuries were reported.

Burwood Fire station crew successfully located the severed body parts while the NSW police, NSW Ambulance, and Council staff tended to the little girl, after which she was transported for further care, 9News reported.

The Strathfield Council staff fenced off the carousel and similar rides in surrounding parks as soon as they heard about the incident.

"Council is attempting to get in touch with the family to support them through this difficult time, and would like to thank the emergency services who were on the scene," Strathfield Council spokesperson said, adding that they've begun an investigation.

According to a study by the University of Sydney, 8% of Australian kids are likely to be admitted to the hospital due to playground injuries. Around the same time last year, a teenage girl had to be airlifted to the Westmead Hospital after she broke her spine in three different places following a nasty fall from the Flying Fox at Kambah Adventure Playground.

In a similar incident, a 6-year-old boy in Lakewood, California, got critically injured after his bike helmet got trapped in a piece of playground equipment. The boy choked as he got trapped and lost consciousness after his airway was cut off. EMS revived him with CPR.

In the U.S., National Playground Safety Week is observed annually in the last week of April. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that 45% of playground injuries cause fractures, internal injuries, dislocations, concussions, or amputations.

The CDC further reports that 75% of playground injuries related to equipment happen on public playgrounds stemming from improper maintenance.