Fury over parents’ shock reaction after hero passerby rescues their ‘motionless’ toddler trapped inside car for an hour
ANGER has erupted over the shock reaction parents had after a hero passerby rescued their “motionless” toddler who had been trapped inside their car for an hour.
The parents, who own the taxi, had left the keys inside along with the youngster but they are said to have refused appeals to smash the window to set the boy free.
Hero rescuer, with the surname Lin, from Sichuan province in southwestern China, was enjoying a meal with pals on the street when he heard passersby talking about the trapped child who appeared to be motionless despite their efforts to attract his attention.
Lin went over to see what was going on and learned the parents were worried about the cost of repairing any damage to the taxi.
Over concerns the child’s life could be in danger due to a lack of oxygen, Lin asked if he could smash a window but the parents did not reply.
Lin said no matter how many times he told them a life was worth more than the cost of a window and he would compensate them for the damage, they would not give permission.
Footage of the incident was posted on social media by Lin which shows a group of people gathered around the green taxi with them knocking on the windows to try to attract the boy’s attention.
Lin, in a white t-shirt, can be seen smashing a window with a hammer and then helping the boy to safety, with the aid of another passerby.
His good deed though was not appreciated by the boy’s parents.
Just a minute later he was confronted by the mother and he told Star Video later: “She said her child was so sleepy but woke up terrified.”
The mum also called Lin later and warned him to delete the video from social media.
Although he said he felt discouraged by the parents’ criticism he believes he did the right thing, saying: “I was very worried”.
Many people went online to show their support for Lin and the post has since attracted more than 28,000 comments on the social media platform Douvin.
One commentator said: “A child’s life is worth less than a pane of glass? It’s sad for this kid to have such parents.”
Another asked: “How can the mother say the child is too sleepy?”
In May this year, cops in Truro smashed the windows of a car after a crying baby was spotted locked inside.
Leaving a small child inside a car can be extremely dangerous, even on a cooler summer’s day, with the youngster feeling the adverse effects in around 30 minutes.
Even if it’s a cloudy day, sweating and thirst can start within 45 minutes.
Experiments show that even on a cooler summer day, temperatures inside a closed vehicle can quickly exceed 125°F (about 52°C) – just off the world record for the hottest temperature ever recorded of 56’C in Death Valley, California.
The cabin of a car can become 20’C hotter than the temperature outside, even on cool and cloudy days, as a result of the greenhouse effect.
As the car becomes an oven, the longer you leave a child, the more at risk they become from severe health issues.
When you spend some time in a high temperature, your body’s thermoregulatory efficiency decreases while body temperature starts to rise.
The body is in a state of hyperthermia, as it absorbs more heat than it dissipates.
It is especially dangerous when body temperature is higher than 40C (compared to the normal 36-37C).
Such a situation is known medically as heat illness, which may cause heat stroke – dizziness, confusion and seizures.
An average of 38 children die as a result of being left in a car every year in the UK, stats say. Most are under the age of two.