Newly Released Footage Shows Tampa Police Rescuing Overheated Baby From Stolen Car

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Police in Tampa, Florida, received the “Life Saving Award” on Thursday, January 19, after rescuing an infant from a stolen car on August 5, according to the Tampa Police Department.

A woman briefly left her car, with her 11-month-old baby inside, and found the vehicle was stolen, Tampa police said. Officers found the car with the baby inside after searching the area for an hour and a half.

The infant was “overheated and lethargic” after sitting in the hot car, police said. Officers placed cold compresses on the infant’s body before the baby was transported to the hospital.

Police said that the infant made a full recovery and was reunited with her mother.

Body camera footage posted by the Tampa Police Department shows the officers scaling a fence to find the baby and car, and administering first aid to the child.

The officers – Steven Zawacki, Martin Pollak, Anthony Hardesty and Landon Harsin – were given the “Life Saving Award” on Thursday, January 19, for their actions in August, police said.

The city said that “there was a strong likelihood that the child would have faced certain death had the officers not located her when they did and provided immediate first aid.” Credit: Tampa Police Department via Storyful

Video Transcript

- [INAUDIBLE] we got a fence in front of [INAUDIBLE] climb over it now.

Oh. OK. Oh [INAUDIBLE].

10-4. Is the vehicle almost closed? Extremely hot. Get the address right there.

- OK.

- Yeah. [INAUDIBLE]

- Here. Let's um-- can you hop in the seat, in the seat here? Put them in the air conditioning?

[INAUDIBLE]

- Hey, sweetheart. Hey, darling.

- Hi, sweetie.

- Hey, baby girl. Hi. Hi. Come here. What's this, huh? Want some water?

- [INAUDIBLE]

- Yeah? Here you go. Here you go, sweetheart, OK? You're OK. You're OK, sweetheart. You're OK.

Good freaking spot, boys. Good spot. You're OK, sweetheart. You're OK. You're OK, sweetheart. You're OK. You're OK, baby girl. Good, good spot, man.

You're OK, darling. You're OK.

- [INAUDIBLE]

- You're doing great, sweetheart. You're doing great. You're doing so good.

- [INAUDIBLE] baby in the back seat. Stole the car. We've been looking for the car. They found the car abandoned with the baby left in the car, with the door locked. So. The baby was overheating in the car. They took it out and put cold water [INAUDIBLE]

Yeah. So she's overheated.

- [INAUDIBLE]