Baby Rescued From Hot SUV In Calimesa

CALIMESA, CA — A child was rescued from an SUV parked in Calimesa after they were accidentally locked inside the vehicle in heat of the summer day.

According to CalFire, crews from the Calimesa Fire Department were dispatched to the scene just after 1:30 p.m., in the area of Calimesa Boulevard and Singleton Road.

Arriving crews found a 1-year-old child was stuck inside the GMC Terrain and the child's mother needed assistance getting the vehicle open, according to fire officials. Video footage from the rescue operation shows crews attempted to first unlock the doors with a "slim Jim" type tool, but when that didn't work, they shattered a rear passenger window.

Calimesa Fire Capt. Alan Rapoza told KTLA news that the child had been in the car for about seven minutes with the engine off by the time the rescue was complete. Footage shows the child appeared a bit flushed, but alert, when pulled out and placed into the awaiting mother's arms.

The rescue comes just one day before National Heatstroke Prevention Day on July 31.

Twenty-four children have died in hot cars so far this year, including 1-year-old twins in New York City who died Friday after they were left inside a car for eight hours by their father, who said in an initial court appearance Saturday that he forgot to drop them off at a daycare center. Since 1990, more than 900 children have died in hot cars, including 58 in California, according to national statistics.

Cars can heat up quickly, even on mild days, and can become deadly in as little as 10 minutes, Jan Null, an adjunct professor and research meteorologist at San Jose State University, told Patch in an email.

Null’s research shows that on a 70-degree day, the temperature inside can reach 89 degrees within five minutes. Within an hour, it can reach 113 degrees.

It’s even worse on 90-degree days. Within five minutes, the temperature can reach 100 degrees; in an hour, it can reach 133 degrees.

Consumer Reports said its tests show temperatures inside cars can reach dangerous levels of children and pets within an hour. One test showed that when the temperature outside was 61 degrees, the temperature inside reached more than 105 degrees within an hour.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers some tips for parents:

• Look before you lock: Get into the routine of always checking the back seats of your vehicle before you lock it and walk away.
• Leave yourself a gentle reminder: Get in the habit of keeping a stuffed toy or other momento in your child’s car seat, then move it to the front seat as a visual reminder when the baby is in the back seat. Or, place your phone, briefcase or purse in the back seat when traveling with your child.
• Get in the practice of routine checks: If someone else is driving your child, or your daily routine has been altered, make a call to make sure the child arrived safely at the destination.
• Keep your keys out of children’s reach: Nearly three in 10 heatstroke deaths happen when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle, the agency said.

SEE RELATED:

• Hot Car Deaths: How Many Kids Have Died In California