Florida deputies smash car window to save 1-year-old girl locked inside
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida deputies worked quickly to save a 1-year-old girl locked inside a car parked at a Walmart on Monday.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said it received a 911 call from a woman reporting that her 1-year-old daughter had accidentally been locked inside a car at a Palm Coast Walmart around 5:05 p.m.
Deputy First Class Finn and Deputy Harrison were the first to arrive on the scene and found a man and a woman standing outside a car that wasn’t running.
The man told deputies that he placed the girl in the vehicle, went to the other side of the car and realized the door was locked with the keys left inside the car.
The couple said the girl had been locked in the car between eight and 10 minutes.
Deputies said the girl was sweating and appeared to be in distress.
Deputy Harrison used shatterballs to break the rear passenger window. He then cleared the remaining glass with a collapsible baton and unlocked the vehicle from inside.
Firefighters determined the girl was OK despite her exposure to extreme heat.
“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.”
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