It's a parent's worst nightmare and it became reality for a mom when her toddler climbed on to a baggage conveyor belt and moved beyond her reach.
Edith Vega was at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, US, when her son climbed on to the conveyor belt and injured himself along the way to the baggage room.
Vega panicked when she realised what was happening and luckily airport staff were on hand to assist both her and the boy, age two.
Vega told local news reporters that she had put her son down while she was printing her boarding pass at an airlines kiosk and before she knew it, he had clambered on to the baggage conveyor belt.
The CCTV footage shows how Vega tried to grab her son and pull him back to safety, but she was unsuccessful. She tells news agency WBS: "I wanted to jump in and try to go get him, but they didn't allow me."
The toddler then attempts to crawl and climb over the baggage on the conveyor belt to get back to his mother.
The boy eventually makes it to the baggage processing room, where shocked staff are seen on the video footage rushing to help him and get him to safety.
An incident report from the airline and airport confirms that the toddler was rushed to hospital to treat a "severely swollen and bruised right hand".
The airline released a statement which reads: "Spirit Airlines is aware of an incident at Hartsfield-Jackson International in which an unattended child passed by a section of our ticket counter that was not staffed or open at the time," the airline said.
"The child was able to access a back baggage area via a bag belt and sustained some injuries. We are currently working with TSA and airport officials to ensure all protocol was followed. We wish the child the best in their recovery."