Traffic officers reacted quickly to save a 3-year-old girl left alone in a closed vehicle parked at Grande Parade on Sunday morning.
The toddler was found alone, distressed and sweating in the back of a Toyota Avanza at roughly 11.30am with no sign of her parents, Principal Inspector Godfrey Africa told IOL.
Traffic officer Nontsikelelo Kalimani was first to arrive at the scene. Kalimani managed to relax the panicked girl, while the passenger-side window was broken to set the anxious young girl free. Luckily she sustained no injuries.
The individuals who were looking after the child were attended a church gathering, led by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God nearby. The parents of the child are yet to be identified, but it is believed that the girl was left in the vehicle for most of the morning.
Thousands of children are left in hot cars every year in South Africa, often leading to tragic consequences.
What you need to know:
– Parked cars can become 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the temperature outside of the vehicle.
– 75% of the heating up inside a car occurs in the first five minutes.
– Children are most at risk due to their tendency to lose fluids quickly, become dehydrated and experience life-threatening heat stroke.
– Children are also in danger of being kidnapped while left alone in a vehicle.
Signs of Heat Stroke:
– High body temperature
– Red, hot, dry skin
– Rapid pulse
– Headache
– Dizziness
– Nausea
– Confusion
– Unconsciousness
Picture: Twitter