3D Magnetic Puzzles Recalled Due to Fatalities

3d magnetic puzzles

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A company called Sobeauty, which imported Mag Cube 3D magnetic puzzles, announced a voluntary recall of the product due to the risk that a child could swallow or inhale the small magnetic puzzle pieces. Inhalation or ingestion of the small yet extremely powerful magnetic pieces could be deadly. The puzzle pieces could adhere to each other in the child’s stomach, intestines, colon, or lungs and kill the child. A notification from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) indicated that neither the agency nor the company is aware of any injuries associated with the product. Notwithstanding, the CPSC said that it had received numerous complaints and reports about children who swallowed powerful magnets associated with other toys, games, and consumer goods.

The potential for a child to suffer a catastrophic or fatal injury is significant if a child were to swallow or inhale one or more of the MAGCUBE BuckyBall pieces from Sobeauty’s 3D puzzle. The puzzle is made of 216 magnetic spheres. The company says that the magnets are actually made from rare-earth materials. The spheres are of different sizes. The gold spheres have a diameter of 3 millimeters, and the other colored-spheres are 5 millimeters in diameter. The spheres are small enough for a small child to inhale or swallow. The game is recommended for people aged fourteen or older.

Any person who swallows or inhales a magnetic sphere will need emergency surgery to remove the item. The CPSC warns consumers that the agency is aware of numerous instances in which children, including older children, needed surgery to remove a foreign object from their bodies. There have been no reports of emergency surgery associated with this recall.

Walmart sold the 3D puzzles via its online portal from March of 2018 to December of 2019. The prices of the puzzle ranged from $13 to $20. The puzzles are manufactured in China.