Toddler rescued in hot car – police looking for heroic witness!

Toddler rescued in hot car – police looking for heroic witness!

Late on Saturday afternoon, at 6:25 p.m. to be precise, a dramatic incident occurred in Heidelberg-Wieblingen that could raise awareness of the dangers of parking cars in high temperatures. A 24-year-old passer-by noticed a black Mini Cooper standing in the blazing sun when the outside temperature was over 30 degrees. In the back seat she saw an almost two-year-old toddler who appeared visibly dazed. To their concern, all of the vehicle's windows were closed, only the roof window was open, but secured by a sun protection grille. According to mrn-news.de, the child's parents were apparently not in the area.

Noticed by the attentive woman, there was no time to waste. She spoke to another passer-by and together they managed to remove the sun protection grille and free the child from the vehicle. The child was quickly brought into the shade and given water to nourish him. Immediately after the mother's arrival at 6:46 p.m., she showed little insight into the danger of the situation. The police were called in and a report was filed on suspicion of breach of duty of care. Fortunately, the child was medically examined by an emergency doctor and soon recovered.

The risk of overheating in the car

This situation highlights a widespread problem: the dangers posed by overheated vehicles, especially to children. Experts warn that just a few minutes in a hot car can be life-threatening. Especially at temperatures of around 28 degrees, the interior temperature of a vehicle can rise to a heat-inducing 45 degrees in just 20 minutes. Children are particularly vulnerable because their bodies are much less able to handle heat than adults. morgenpost.de reports that in the stress of everyday life, many parents are often distracted and, in the worst case, forget to get their children out of the car - be it after a quick grocery run or in order not to wake a sleeping child.

Every year in the USA, around 40 children die from heat stroke in the car. These worrying figures show how important it is to be aware of the risks. What is particularly tragic is that over 50% of the children affected were forgotten by their parents during their stress. With backseat reminder systems planned by 20 car manufacturers by 2025, it should become easier to prevent these tragic incidents in the future.

Rescue measures in an emergency

In the event of overheating, you need to act quickly. According to [br.de]. Cool, damp cloths on the forehead and neck can also provide relief. It is important that passers-by act quickly in an emergency and be sure to call the police or emergency services to have the vehicle opened if the parents cannot be found quickly.

In Germany it is even legal to break a car window if there is a helpless child inside. Possible legal consequences for exposing children to such dangerous situations could be considered bodily harm or child abuse and could result in up to three years in prison.

The events in Heidelberg are a strong wake-up call for all parents and carers to be aware of the risks. Care and attentiveness are required to avoid such dangerous situations and to put the well-being of children first.

Anyone who witnessed the incident should contact the Heidelberg-Süd police station on 06221-3418-0.