Igloo recalls Marine Elite coolers with stainless-steel latches after Florida boy is trapped in one

Igloo has recalled Marine Elite coolers with stainless-steel latches. A Florida boy accidentally trapped himself inside one. He was rescued unharmed. Igloo said it is sending replacement latches to affected customers.

Igloo Coolers has issued a recall of four cooler models after a Florida boy was trapped inside one.

WSVN Channel 7, a Fox affiliate in Miami, reported the story of Nicholas Wanes, 5, who was trapped inside an Igloo cooler on March 2.

Nicholas hid in the cooler with the top cracked open, but the top dropped and locked. His family rescued him after hearing a muffled scream. He was unharmed.

“Every thought goes through your mind. ‘What if? What if? What if? What if I didn’t hear him? What if I was out front? What if I was upstairs? What if I was in the shower?’ I mean, that’s why we want to get this out there,” said Maria Wanes, Nicholas’ mother.

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“It has been brought to our attention that a child recently, inadvertently trapped himself inside one of our products,” Igloo said in a statement to WSVN. “We are very sorry for the scare this incident msut have caused the child and his family, and very happy no one was injured.”

According to a statement posted to the company's website, Igloo is voluntarily recalling Igloo Marine Elite coolers with stainless-steel latches sold through West Marine.

Affected units include:

  • Igloo Marine Elite 72 quart; Item #00049375
  • Igloo Marine Elite 54 quart; Item #00049374
  • Igloo Marine Elite 94 quart; Item #00049574
  • Igloo Marine Elite 110 quart; Item #00034108

Igloo said it is working with West Marine to send customers a free latch-replacement kit. Customers can call 1(888)–257–0934 to see if a kit has been mailed to them.