We report the case of a 21-month-old child who, after a choking episode, presented with a 4 week history of occasional respiratory wheeze on exertion. A plastic foreign body in the mid trachea was retrieved on bronchoscopy. The delay in presentation was related to the presence of a lumen within the foreign body permitting ventilation. The case demonstrates the importance of the history, the need for urgent bronchoscopy and the type of anaesthetic technique considered appropriate in such cases.