http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20110412/tuk-boy-s-tumble-dryer-death-ruled-an-ac-45dbed5.html
**A coroner has recorded a verdict of accidental death in the case of a four-year-old boy who was found by his mother inside the family’s tumble dryer.
Sonny Gibson is believed to have climbed into the machine during a game of hide-and-seek in July last year.
The youngster’s body was discovered by his mum Anne at their home in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
During the inquest into his death, Derby Coroner’s Court heard the boy had died after suffering injuries “as a consequence of being inside an active tumble dryer”.
Coroner Louise Pinder said it was impossible to know why Sonny had climbed inside the home appliance.
However, she added: "Sonny was a very lively little boy and could, on occasion, be quite mischievous.
“He loved to hide and hide-and-seek was a game he was fond of. He had demonstrated an attraction to the tumble dryer in the past.”
She told the court she believed he had set the machine’s timer himself and then the door either bounced shut as he got in, or one of the family’s two dogs knocked it shut.
Speaking at the inquest, Mrs Gibson broke down while describing the moment she found her little boy.
She told the court she had stayed at a friend’s house on the night of July 25, 2010, after having a few too many drinks.
Sonny had been left in the care of teenage family members, which, she said, was not an uncommon arrangement.
The court heard when she returned home in the morning, her son was not in his bedroom.
Mrs Gibson said she checked the usual places Sonny liked to hide in the house, such as under beds and in wardrobes, while other family members searched outside.
After about 30 minutes of looking for him, she rang the police.
It was when she was checking the house again with an officer that she made the terrible discovery.
Through sobs, Mrs Gibson told the inquest: "I checked all the house again, then I looked in the washing machine.
"I don’t know what made me look in the washing machine, and then I opened the tumble dryer door and he was there.
“I opened the door and he was just curled up.”
PC Wendy Foxon was the officer with Mrs Gibson when she found Sonny’s body.
She told the court after they both removed him from the dryer, the mother sat on the floor cradling the youngster and rocking backwards and forwards.
A post-mortem revealed the child had received a blunt head trauma, had inhaled hot gases and had various burns to his body.
Home Office pathologist Professor Guy Rutty told the inquest there was no evidence to suggest Sonny had been forced into the machine or that his injuries were caused prior to him getting into it.
Mrs Gibson also told the inquest her son had been a “very independent for a four-year-old”.
She also said Sonny had learned how to operate the tumble dryer from watching others use it and he liked to put his favourite blanket in there to warm it up.
The mother also revealed the boy had been caught by another family member trying to climb into the machine some six months before his death.
She added she thought Sonny may have climbed into the dryer and the family’s two pet dogs may have knocked the door shut.
The inquest also heard from a scenes of crime officer who carried out tests to establish if the tumble dryer door could have shut and the appliance switched on with the youngster inside.
Anthony Coombs explained how an officer pushed the door open so it bounced on its hinge and swung shut, with the door hook latching into place.
He said that, with the machine’s timer set, “five out of six times, the door latch closed and the machine activated”.**
Such a terrible news. 
may his soul rest in peace and the family gets strength to overcome this terrible loss. ameen sum ameen
