Every single one of us has had a protective parent or guardian warn us of the danger associated with escalators. Horror stories have been told of people being hurt on these machines through operator misuse or poor maintenance. Getting sucked into the mechanical workings of this device is something that can really happen and not just an urban legend. If you are using an escalator with a small child, keep your eye on them at all times and always be safe!

The tragic and graphic video below shows the unimaginable - a mother sacrificing herself to save her young child. This woman was in a popular Chinese mall with her young son, a completely normal thing to do in any country. As humans we put so much trust into the safety of equipment that it barely even crosses our minds that something this horrible could happen. The maternal instincts of this woman saved her son’s life and he didn't up in the hospital, but he will have to attend her funeral. Once they reached the top, a plate was loose exposing the internal workings of the escalator and pulling the mother to her death. By the grace of a higher power she was able to toss her son into safety before being sucked up by the machine. The most shocking detail of this story is the plate was loose for more than five minutes before the incident and nobody did a thing about it!

It might be hard to watch a woman dying in an accident of this nature but if this senseless death can make even one person more aware then it will have been worth it. However there are a few questions that come to mind when viewing this tragedy. Why was the plate loose at the top of the escalator? Why isn’t there a device that will stop an escalator after detecting something being caught inside? Was there anything anyone could have done to save this woman? These questions remain unanswered but her fearless actions saved the life of a little boy and she is an absolute hero!