Flagler deputies rescue child locked in hot car, remind parents to be mindful as summer nears
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies Monday rescued a child locked inside a car with all the windows closed and the engine off outside the Walmart in Palm Coast.
The sheriff’s office received a 911 call about 5:05 p.m. from a woman who said her 1-year-old daughter had been accidentally locked inside a car.
When Deputies Robert Finn and Christian Harrison arrived, they found a man and a woman next to the car. The man told them he had placed the child in the car and walked to the other side only to find the door locked and the keys inside, the sheriff’s office stated.
The man and woman said the child had been locked inside the car between eight and 10 minutes.
Deputies could see that the child appeared to be sweating and in distress.
Harrison then utilized “Shatterballs” to break the rear-passenger window of the vehicle, the farthest window from the child.
The deputy then used his baton to clear the remains of the shattered glass. He reached inside and unlocked the vehicle.
The Palm Coast Fire Department checked the young girl and found her to be OK.
The high temperature in Palm Coast on Monday was 80 degrees, according to AccuWeather.
When it's 80 degrees outside, the temperature inside a locked car can reach 99 degrees in 10 minutes, according to Kids and Car Safety.
It was nearly a year ago that a 2-year-old Orange City girl died after being left inside a hot car for about three hours.
“Thanks to the quick response of our deputies, this child was safely rescued, and a tragic incident was avoided,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. "Although this was an accident, I would like to take this time to remind parents of the dangers of leaving a child in a parked car at any time, especially if it is not running. Heatstroke can happen very quickly, even if it does not seem that hot outside. Remember, if it has a heartbeat, do not leave them in your car.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler deputies rescue child locked in hot car in Palm Coast
