Grandma hears her 7-year-old nephew screaming, rushes out immediately and sees the boy in a garbage truck

Children typically enjoy playing, and it is a natural part of their growth and development. Play helps children learn skills, explore their imaginations, experiment with different roles, try out new ideas, and express their feelings in a safe and controlled environment. However, not every environment in which they choose to play is safe.

A little boy narrowly escaped death after he was dumped into a garbage truck and was saved just moments from being crushed along with the rest of the trash.

Full of energy and curiosity, 7-year-old Elias was playing a game outside his grandmother’s house before deciding to hide inside a trash can and keeping the lid closed. Things quickly took a serious turn when a garage truck arrived, scooped up the trash with its electronic arm, and tossed all of its contents into the truck, including the little boy.

Usually, whatever makes its way inside the garbage truck gets crushed within a matter of seconds. And Elias thought it was the end for him when he was dumped in the truck. “I thought I was going to be a mashed potato,” the boy said.

The terrified boy screamed loud enough for his grandmother to hear his voice from inside the house, and she immediately ran out.

“I thought that Elias was under the wheels. That he had been hit or something,” grandmother, Carmen, said.

Luckily, the driver of the truck was keeping an eye on the surveillance camera, and he saw the unusual sight of a child being dropped into the truck with all the trash. He immediately switched off the blade that is used to crush the garbage, and at the nick of time, he managed to save the boy.

“It was a bad day for me. I was scared,” said the driver, Waldo, but he proved to be a hero that day.

“I come outside, I see him, he seems happy,” Waldo said. “I said OK, you’re OK now.”

Shawn, the operations manager, was proud of Waldo’s quick actions and for saving the boy from losing his life.

“He’s truly a hero,” said Shawn. “If he hadn’t been paying close attention to the job, we would all be searching for a missing seven-year-old today.”

Explaining how the story could have ended much differently, Shawn said, “The truck instantly treats trash like a garbage disposal does. Then, after it is in the truck, it heads straight to an incendiary. Nobody would have ever known what happened to him.”

Thanks to the driver, Elias lived to tell the bizarre tale and walked away with only a scratch on his wrist.

Shawn added, “Waste management workers are often the unsung heroes of a community. But we believe this action deserves some praise from everyone.”

Grandmother Carmen is more than grateful to see Elias safe and sound, and she said, “I’m very thankful that he was looking at that camera at that time and that he acted so fast. Because otherwise, he wouldn’t be here.”

When young Elias was asked if he would ever jump into a trash can again, the boy told news outlets that he would not, “unless it’s like a tiny trash can that’s inside the house. That might be fine.