Toddler Rescued from Conveyor Belt at Newark Airport

A toddler was rescued after going missing on May 28, having climbed onto a dangerous conveyor belt, as reported by local media ABC7.

The child’s mother had rebooked a JetBlue flight for their family trip to Florida when the two-year-old squeezed onto the baggage drop-off conveyor. Officers later located the toddler in a checked baggage compartment further down the airport.

Keith Jeffries, vice president of K2 Security Screening Group, emphasized the risks, noting, “It’s extremely dangerous. The diverters—these large pushers—can push bags down onto the right conveyor belt, and that could be fatal for a little kid.”

According to PIX 11, Port Authority officials managed to grab the child just before they reached the X-ray machine used for screening checked luggage. Port Police Station union president Frank Conti mentioned that there was a split in the belt.

Similar incidents have occurred at other airports. In 2021, a 9-year-old climbed onto a luggage belt at Minneapolis Airport, getting pulled into the chute until staff turned off the system. In another case, a two-year-old boy at Atlanta Airport ended up in a security area after passing through an X-ray machine, resulting in a cut on his arm and a broken hand.

Newark Airport has been facing staffing challenges and issues with outdated technology in recent months. In early May, the airport experienced communication and radar outages, marking the second instance in two months, which led to numerous delays and cancellations.