Peloton issued a warning to customers Thursday to keep children away from the exercise equipment after a child was killed in a “tragic accident” on one of its popular Tread+ fitness machines.
Peloton CEO John Foley acknowledged the fatality in an email to users of the high-energy workout equipment, saying the company was “aware of only a small handful of incidents involving the Tread+ where children have been hurt.”
“While we are aware of only a small handful of incidents involving the Tread+ where children have been hurt, each one is devastating to all of us at Peloton, and our hearts go out to the families involved,” Foley wrote.
The company did not elaborate on the circumstances of the accident in order to protect the privacy of the family involved, reports said. Also unclear is where the incident happened.
Foley urged owners of the Tread+ to secure the treadmills from kids and pets and said to remove the safety key that shuts down the machine whenever its not in use.
“We design and build all of our products with safety in mind,” Foley wrote. “But in order to help ensure that you and your family members stay safe with Peloton products in your home, we need your help.”
The Peloton Tread+ costs about $4,295, and is much like a typical motorized treadmill that you would find at a local gym, but it features a large digital screen for users to stream personalized fitness classes.
About 25,000 kids under the age of 10 are injured by exercise equipment each year, according to CNN, which cited a 2014 study from the US National Institutes of Health.
This is a developing story. Please stay with AJC.com for the latest updates.
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