Nagano, Jul 09, 2024 (News On Japan) - Two toddlers were trapped in a car under dangerous heat conditions. The firefighter who rescued them shared the tense moments of the rescue.
On Monday, in Nagano Prefecture, where temperatures exceeded 37 degrees Celsius, a call came in to the fire department shortly after 2 PM. Upon arrival at the scene, the firefighters found an infant boy, just two months old, and a one-year-old girl trapped inside a minivan parked in an outdoor parking lot.
"We tried calling out to them from outside, but there wasn't much response. The girl was visibly sweating, indicating that it was quite hot inside the car," the firefighter explained. The car was locked with the keys inside, a situation known as an in-lock.
The firefighter reported that the parents had momentarily left the car to attend to other children, during which time the toddlers inside accidentally locked the doors. Upon their return, they found the car locked and were unable to open it.
In a demonstration video, it was shown that on a 35-degree Celsius day, the temperature inside a car parked in direct sunlight can rise rapidly from 25.5 degrees Celsius to over 35 degrees within minutes, and can reach nearly 38 degrees in just 10 minutes.
Approximately 30 minutes after the entrapment, the firefighters carefully broke the window of the passenger seat to unlock the doors and rescue the children. Although the air conditioning was on, the temperature inside the car was still uncomfortably high. "The children's faces were very red, and they were sweating profusely," the firefighter noted.
The one-year-old girl’s body temperature had risen to over 37.5 degrees Celsius. Both children were taken to the hospital with suspected heatstroke. The firefighter emphasized the importance of always keeping car keys on your person to avoid such incidents. "Children are naturally curious and may accidentally lock themselves inside a car. It’s crucial to always carry the keys with you," he advised.
