Monday morning, Sheriff’s deputies and paramedics were called to a business in Twentynine Palms for a parent who accidentally locked an infant inside the car. Rescue personnel broke the window to reach the baby, who luckily suffered no ill effects from being in the car for about five minutes during 90-degree temperatures. Managing editor Tami Roleff offers the following safety tips to keep your children safe during the summer heat.
Leaving children alone in a car for even just a few minutes is extremely dangerous, according to medical professionals. Children are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses as their bodies produce more heat relative to their size, and their ability to sweat is not as developed as adults. Give yourself a reminder that your child is in the car by placing your purse or briefcase in the back seat next to the child, or by placing the baby’s diaper bag on the front seat. Lock your car doors when you’re at home to keep children from wandering into the car and accidentally locking themselves in. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911 immediately. The inside of a car can heat up 40 degrees in an hour, even on cool days, and just a few minutes in a hot car can be fatal for young children—and pets—even with the windows cracked.
CHILD LOCKED INTO A HOT CAR IN TWENTYNINE PALMS, AN IMPORTANT REMINDER
