Child killed in Peloton treadmill accident as CEO issues warning to parents
A child has died in an accident involving a Peloton treadmill, leading the company's chief to warn parents to keep infants away from the equipment.
Peloton has grown in popularity in the last year with more people turning to its at-home workout products as they ditch their gym memberships amidst the pandemic.
John Foley, Peloton's co-founder and chief executive, emailed owners of the Tread+ on March 18 to inform them of the incident.
"I'm reaching out to you today because I recently learned about a tragic accident involving a child and the Tread+, resulting in, unthinkably, a death," he wrote.
"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."
Mr Foley advised users to keep pets and children away from Peloton equipment, and store it safely when not in use.
The company said it would not be releasing any further details, including the age of the child and location.
The Tread+, which retails at around $4,256 (£3,000), is currently not on sale in the UK, however, a lighter, less expensive model is available for purchase.
Peloton, whose stationary exercise bike has gained a cult following over the past years, launched the Peloton Tread in 2018, and then introduced the updated model Tread+ last fall.
The Tread+ features a slat belt that helps lessen the impact on the body, while The Tread has a more classic, continuous running belt.
Tread+ is one of a range of Peloton’s treadmills and bikes, which features a screen allowing users to follow training videos and virtual workouts.
Peloton shares fell more than 3 per cent in New York trading on Thursday.
Around 25,000 children each year in the US are hurt on exercise equipment, of which 2,600 kids on average end up in the emergency room from treadmill accidents.
