Traveling with children can be challenging, especially at the airport. Needing to watch over little ones as you lug your suitcases and theirs all while checking in and walking long distances is no easy task. It was especially tough for one mom at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport after her son wandered off and hopped onto the baggage conveyor belt. Security cameras captured the boy going past the Spirit Airlines' ticketing desks and climbing on the belt. There's also footage of him going through machines and eventually, getting rescued by security personnel in the TSA bag room.
His mother, Edith Vega, explained to the police that it all happened when she put her son down to print her boarding pass at a kiosk. When she briefly looked away, he disappeared and wound up riding the belt for five minutes. She alerted Spirit Airlines staff members who stopped the belt, but by that point the boy travelled too far.
Vega told WSB, "He just went a long ride away, I couldn't even catch up. I wanted to jump in and try to go get him, but they didn't allow me."
The fire department was called to the scene because the toddler likely broke his hand in the incident. It was bruised and severely swollen so he was transported to the hospital.
Spirit Airlines released a statement about what happened that reads, "Spirit Airlines is aware of an incident at Hartsfield-Jackson International in which an unattended child passed by a section of our ticket counter that was not staffed or open at the time. The child was able to access a back baggage area via a bag belt and sustained some injuries. We are currently working with TSA and airport officials to ensure all protocol was followed. We wish the child the best in their recovery."
Photo: YouTube/CBS46Atlanta