Midland Boy Gets Trapped in Claw Machine at Buffalo Wild Wings

It was an ordinary Sunday lunch out with Dad until one of the kids got trapped inside the claw machine at Buffalo Wild Wings.

How Did a Toddler Get Stuck in a Vending Machine at B-Dubb's?

Every parent knows that anything can happen when you turn your back for just a second, and that's exactly what happened to this Midland father of two who took his boys out to eat on Sunday (11/12).

Devon Bates tells WJRT-TV that he was signing the credit card receipt at the table when his older son informed him that his 2-year-old brother had wriggled through the hole in the front of the machine.

"Damien comes up, 'Brother is crawling into the machine.' [I said] 'What are you talking about?' and I looked back he was already standing up in it," Bates said.

Devon tried to get his son out of the glass box full of stuffed animals but to no avail. The Midland Fire Department was summoned to rescue the toddler.

Boy in a Claw Machine Video Goes Viral

Kay Smitty was also at the restaurant that day and whipped out her phone to grab some video. She posted the clip on TikTok.

@smitty5902 #michigan #littleboy #buffolowildwings #midlandmichigan #midland #crane #cranemachine ♬ original sound - Kay Smitty

Rescue workers had to remove the top of the machine to get the boy out. Luckily, he wasn't injured.

The boy's mom, Wrae Bacon, was working at the time and knows how quickly kids can get into things.

"It's something that every parent can relate to," she said. "You look away for a split second and then they are doing something crazy."

Buffalo Wild Wings gave each of the boys a stuffed animal from the machine after the rescue.

Midland's John Pratt Mosaic House

Just outside of Midland is the childhood home of gifted artist John Pratt. The home is adorned with shimmering bits of broken glass, china, and mirrored tiles that create a window into Pratt's creative soul.

Pratt suffered from mental illness and as part of his recovery, decorated the outside walls of the home with murals that, in the words of this website, "represented his illness, his re-discovered zest for living, and his beliefs about tolerance and unconditional love."

Since his death, the home has been owned and maintained by Creative 360 which offers guided tours of the premises. Our thanks to Ashley Cottrell who provided the pictures below.

Gallery Credit: George McIntyre

Peek Inside Uncle Kracker's Harrison Township Home

Follow me, as we check out Uncle Kracker's Harrison Township home. The rockstar's former abode is currently off the market and estimates value it at roughly one million dollars.

Gallery Credit: George McIntyre