No lion, no witch, just a trapped mum in wardrobe

Nicola Gaskin outside the closet in which she was trapped. Photo / Alan Gibson

Firefighters rescued a young mother trapped in a closet during a game of hide-and-seek.

As her 2-year-old counted down, Nicola Gaskin sneaked into the small closet, which has only a high door handle on the outside, leaving the door slightly ajar.

But within a minute of her son's search of the small apartment - with few other places to hide - he leaned on the door, and she heard it click.

The pair found it funny at first, but her son started freaking out when he realised she really was trapped, Ms Gaskin said.

It took a 10-minute effort to get the 2-year-old to squeeze Ms Gaskin's phone under the door.

She was able to call 111 and firefighters came to her aid, from a fire station only a block away.

The fire brigade said that Ms Gaskin had emerged from the closet red-faced.

The Herald visited her central Tauranga apartment yesterday afternoon, a day after her ordeal - to find her locked inside.

"This is just ridiculous now," Ms Gaskin laughed, unable to find the key needed to open the front door.

"I'm not calling them [the fire service] again."

She talked good-humouredly out of an open window, declining Herald offers to help her climb out.

She said she had to pick up her son from day care in five minutes, but she was sure she could find her keys.

As the Herald left her driveway, she called out: "I'm free!" proudly waving to them from an open door.

She then agreed to have a photograph taken next to the problem closet, but Ms Gaskin said she was not getting too close.

"I'm not taking my chances."

She had moved into the apartment only two weeks ago, she said.

Tauranga Fire Brigade senior station officer Len Sabin said firefighters had arrived to find a "very cute little 2-year-old quite entertained by having us around".

Fortunately, the door to the apartment was unlocked when they arrived.

"She'd only been in there for about 15 minutes," Mr Sabin said.

- Additional reporting: Bay of Plenty Times