Dubai: 2-year-old saved from suffocating in locked car while parents shopped
Dubai Police came to the rescue of a two-year-old boy who got trapped in a locked vehicle while his parents went shopping and did not notice the boy’s plight.
Leaving the child unattended became dangerous when he locked himself in, and at this point, he began to show signs of suffocation.
The mother tried to contact the police after coming back to the car and realizing her child’s predicament. Rescue workers from the General Department of Transport and Rescue at Dubai Police managed to retrieve the child from the vehicle without any harm.
While the mother commented on the police’s response, she thanked them for acting quickly and also shared the incident’s impact stating that it is, “a sobering, painful lesson,” asking parents to refrain from leaving children unattended in a vehicle.
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According to records, in the last four months alone, the Dubai Police have dealt with 92 incidents of children being negligently or carelessly trapped in vehicles, elevators, or behind locked doors at home.
Al Khaleej newspaper has reported that Colonel Abdullah Ali Bishwah, the Head of the Land Rescue Section at the General Department of Transport and Rescue, said children rescued from different places included; 33 kids from vehicles, 7 from elevators, and 52 from homes.
The Dubai police mentioned that their course of action regarding the cases is based on the condition of the child. In situations that are not critical, the special tool is used to unlock the car without causing any damage, but if there are indications that the child is in critical danger, like showing signs of suffocation or altered consciousness, he would have to forcibly remove the window to safely extract the child.
Them incidents involves children getting locked inside a car mistakenly by parents for some reason on the loading zones in front of stores, or even at home.
Alongside these, there are everyday lapse in judgment made by caregivers who include an unattended child in a locked car without leaving one door ajar, while trusting push-button locking devices are prepared to be used. Also, technical issues like a dead battery or system bugs can lead to a vehicle locking itself while a child is unattended.
Dubai Police has also cited the need for enhanced parental responsibility to avert such risky scenarios, particularly during shopping trips or outings, highlighting the importance of active measures that guarantee children’s safety at all times.
On Sunday, Abu Dhabi Police made a similar warning for the general public, particularly to all motorists with families, against the dangers of leaving children unattended in a vehicle during extremely hot weather.
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