Child dies after getting trapped at rotating restaurant in Atlanta

Report says the boy was injured when he got caught between the rotating portion of the floor and a wall.

Still planning to go out for dinner on Christmas? Here are a list of places to make last-minute dining reservations
Reuters (Representational Image)

A five-year-old boy died in Atlanta on Friday after sustaining head injuries from being trapped at a popular rotating restaurant in the city. According to reports, the little boy and his family were visiting from Charlotte and were at the restaurant for lunch

The incident took place at the Sun Dial, a restaurant at the top of the 73-storey Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel in Atlanta. The USA Today reported that the boy was injured when he got caught between the rotating portion of the floor and a wall.

"We simply think he lost sight of his parents and panicked and found himself in that situation. A small child doesn't know what to do in those moments, and it crushed his little small body," Warren Pickard, Atlanta Police Department spokesman told the USA Today.

Another report by 11alive said first responders were at the restaurant "in a matter of minutes". The unconscious boy was rushed to the Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment; however, the boy passed away later.

Pickard said the restaurant floor has a motion sensor that automatically stops the rotating floor when it senses something is trapped. In this case also, it did the same but it was too late then. The boy's head already suffered the brunt of the injury.

The report quoted George Reed, hotel manager for the Westin Peachtree Plaza, as saying that the restaurant is working with authorities and will assist in the investigation.

"Words cannot express the depths of our sorrow. Our thoughts remain with the family," Reed added.

READ MORE