Boy, 4, freed after more than five hours with hand stuck in vending machine.

A four-year-old boy is in hospital after having his hand stuck inside a vending machine for more than five hours in Melbourne’s CBD.

Crews were called to the Lonsdale Street address about lunchtime on Sunday, where they found the boy with his hand stuck in the anti-theft flaps of the machine.

Rescuers had to work for hours to dismantle the machine piece-by-piece to free the boy, who was in considerable distress.

They used cartoons on their smartphones to calm him, but at one stage he had to be sedated.

He was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a stable condition.

The boy’s father Aaron Shorthouse said the family is from Arnhem Land and his son Leo had never seen a vending machine before.

“I don’t think he’s seen a vending machine before, so he saw the Oreos and some biscuits and some other things,” he said.

Mr Shorthouse said it was tough to sit back as rescuers worked to free his son, who he said was exhausted but doing well.

“He’s fine after five-and-a-half hours. He was a bit inquisitive, he put his hand in the vending machine, but yes he’s good now,” he said.

Sergeant Ali Gurdag said it was an unusual operation to free the boy.

“First type of job I’ve had to respond to in that situation,” he said.

“To see that young, little kid in the discomfort he was in, and observing the fire brigade and how patient they were, it was just an exceptional performance.”

This post was originally published on the ABC.