Kids and young animals both have a double dose of curiosity that often gets them into trouble. As they learn the ropes, they can get themselves into all sorts of situations that require help to get them out of.
For one little 3-year-old girl in Boulder, Colorado, that took the form of getting stuck in the railing along the second floor of an apartment complex.
It’s fairly common for kids to get stuck in these sorts of things (stair railings and chair rungs are common targets, too), and no doubt you or someone you know tried some similar stunt at an early age.
There are all sorts of suggested remedies: using butter or some other oily substance so the child can slip back through or — with help — lifting the child through whatever he or she is trapped in, since usually the rest of the body can fit if the head did.
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But the metal railing proved to have bested the adults in the girl’s life, and its location on the second floor made accessing the girl from the other side rather difficult.
After trying and failing to free her, they called the Boulder police, who were amused enough over the situation that they shared it on social media.
“As kids, we’ve all done things that seem like a good idea at the time, but that we sometimes come to regret,” the department’s Facebook post from Sept. 21 reads. “That was the situation here where this adorable toddler was recently enjoying the day and her view, but accidentally got her head stuck in the railing.
“Thankfully Sergeant Marquez and Officer Kyle were quick to respond and came up with a clever and speedy way to safely free her. Shared with the mother’s permission.”
Police used a battering ram to carefully wedge the bars apart enough that the girl could pop her head back out. She immediately ran to her mother and sobbed into her shoulder.
In between heaving sobs, the little girl promised to never do that again. One officer knelt down, chatted with her a bit and offered her a police badge sticker.
As the officers left, the little girl called after them to say thank you, and her little voice has warmed many hearts.
“I was crying and whining,” the girl told KDVR-TV. “The police come and got my head out with a big heavy tool. … Well right now it feels oh so nice!”
The girl’s mother said that she’d started to panic by the time police arrived but that they did a wonderful job calming both her and her daughter.
“I was quite scared, my stomach was in my throat, but I knew I had to be calm and let her know there was nothing to be scared of,” she said. “It would be taken care of. The officers were amazing actually. They gave her stickers and a badge to make her feel special. I’m just really glad that they were actually able to put us at so much ease, and my daughter especially. I mean, they were great with her.”
While many have commented that the situation could have been handled without calling the police, the police involved seemed rather grateful for the call.
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Sgt. Michael Marquez said it was a heartwarming experience for the officers who responded.
“It just melted my heart,” he said, getting a little choked up. “It, it was a great day. It felt good to help her, help her family, people around her were having a tough time, we were making it better for them.
Officer Jordan Kyle, also on the scene, agreed.
“It just reminds you what you’re doing is the right thing, it reminds you why you got in the job,” he said. “And with all the negativity and whatnot, just little calls like that kind of give that refresher, and it makes you happy for what you do. Helping out folks, getting the bad guy, helping out 2- to 3-year-olds with head stuck in fences. Every day is different. That’s the nice thing about this job. You might put on the same uniform and get in the same car, but calls are going to be different, experiences are going to be different. It’s the best job I ever had.
“Don’t be afraid to call the police. If you’re thinking, ‘Maybe I should call the police,’ call the police. We’re happy to come on out and help you in any way we can.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
