Hide-and-seek dad spun out

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17774855-13762,00.html

WEDGED in his sister's 8kg capacity washing machine with his knees pressed tight to his chest, Robin Toom, 30, was stuck and hot.

"I just hopped in there, playing hide and go seek with the kids," the baker's assistant said yesterday from Townsville.
"I got in there and couldn't even get the lid down and the kids came in and said 'ha ha we found you'."

With his wife, sister, brother-in-law and the kids crammed in the bathroom around the machine, embarrassment turned to perspiration.

Local fire officer Dave Dillon was on duty at 4.55pm on Sunday when the call came that "a man was stuck in a washing machine".

"We thought we'd get there and he'd have his hand stuck," Mr Dillon said. "He was in an absolute lather of sweat when we got there. He was really well attached to it."

To his sister's relief, dismantling the machine was ruled a last option because Mr Toom would have still been in the tub, which would then have to be cut open.
Mr Dillon used direct action, reaching into the machine and dislodged Mr Toom's foot from where it had been stuck for an hour.

An embarrassed Mr Toom then decided to change the rules of hide and seek for his children.

"I hope they don't go hiding in any washing machines now," he said.