The Telegraph
Child killed in accident in Peloton as CEO warns parents
A child died in an accident with a treadmill from Peloton, which led the head of the company to warn parents to keep babies away from the equipment. Peloton has grown in popularity over the past year with more people practicing their home workout products while dropping their gym membership amid the pandemic. John Foley, co-founder and CEO of Peloton, sent an email to Tread + owners on March 18 to inform them of the incident. “I reach out to you today because I recently learned of a tragic accident with a child and the treadmill +, which inadvertently resulted in death,” he wrote. “Although we are only aware of a small handful of incidents with the treadmill + where children were injured, each of us is devastating in Peloton, and our hearts are focused on 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 did not disclose any further details, including the child’s age and location. The Tread +, which sells for around $ 4,256 (£ 3,000), is not currently on sale in the UK, but a lighter, cheaper model is on sale. Peloton, whose stationary exercise bike has gained a cult following in recent years, introduced the Peloton treadmill in 2018 and then introduced the updated model Tread + last year. The Tread + has a slatted belt that helps reduce the impact on the body, while The Tread has a more classic, continuous running belt. Tread + is one of a series of Peloton careers and bikes, with a screen that allows users to follow workout videos and virtual workouts. Peloton shares fell more than 3 percent on Thursday. About 25,000 children in the United States are injured annually by exercise equipment, of which 2,600 children end up in an emergency on average due to treadmill accidents.