5-year-old boy's neck twisted while playing at Tampines playground

The mother of a five-year-old boy took to Facebook to complain about an indoor playground fixture in Tampines, where her son apparently twisted his neck while playing and had to be hospitalised for three days.

Ms Anna Wang shared that she had taken her son Leonidas Lim to Jolly Jungle Kids Indoor Playground at Our Tampines Hub on March 22.

However, the outing turned into a "distressing and painful experience" for her and her husband.

Ms Wang claimed that Leonidas was playing in a rotating roller tunnel and his neck "cracked" within seconds of being in the fixture.

"The rest of the day quickly turned into a whirlwind of clinics, hospital, X-rays and head-tilting that would make any owl jealous."

The Facebook post has since been removed.

When Shin Min Daily News visited the playground on April 3, a spokesperson said the CCTV footage showed the boy playing in the rolling fixture while his mother sat about 5m away.

"After he came out of the roller, he walked towards his mother and complained about his discomfort."

Ms Wang then touched her son's head to check up on him.

The spokesperson added that the CCTV did not capture anything wrong with the boy's head until he later climbed up a partition next to the ball pool, and his neck looked twisted after he came down.

The mother immediately left the playground with her son after realising something was wrong with his neck.

"We later received a message from the mother on March 24 and learnt about the incident. I went to visit her that day with gifts."

Ms Wang also wrote in, suggesting that improvements be made to the playground and asked for compensation, but did not specify the amount.

"We found that the fixture was not faulty, so we cannot compensate," added the spokesperson.

"If the problem was caused by the fixture, we would definitely be responsible."

Notices were posted on the rollers and trampolines to state the rules and to remind parents to supervise their children.

The spokesperson explained to the Chinese daily that the playground is for children under the age of 12, and the rollers are suitable for children between three and 12 years old, with no height limit.

He pointed out that he had reviewed the matter with Ms Wang.

"We still welcome her to continue discussing with us."

Ms Wang on April 3 left a Google review on the indoor playground.

She wrote: "There were no age or height limit signs posted. While I was sitting just 2 feet away, taking a brief rest, he cracked his neck inside the tunnel within seconds.

"The result was a serious, visibly tilted neck, with a protruding bone-like tissue in the neck, requiring immediate x-rays and a three-day hospital stay. Imagine the fear and helplessness."

Ms Wang also included Jolly Jungle's response.

"They insisted that because I, as a parent, should have been 'actively supervising', they bear no responsibility. They claimed it's a house rule and their machine was functioning correctly."

Jolly Jungle, in its response to the review, stated that it had declined Ms Wang's request for compensation as "the equipment was misused and active supervision was lacking at the time".

"We must also address some inaccuracies in your account that could harm our reputation. You claimed the injury happened 'within seconds', yet footage shows a prolonged period of play."

Reiterating its commitment to a dialogue with Ms Wang, Jolly Jungle added: "We're open to honest dialogue and value feedback that helps us improve."