KOCHI: A two-year-old boy accidentally locked himself inside his parents’ car which was parked in front of their house on Saturday morning.
The incident happened at the residence of K Shaju in Kochi around 8 am. His son Rithick who was playing outside got inside the parked car and pressed the ‘lock’ button. The key was inside the car and the glasses were all rolled up.
The parents tried to signal him to press the ‘unlock’ key, but the boy panicked and started to cry. The parents soon informed the Eloor Fire and Rescue Services following which a team of five officials rushed to the spot.
“There was no spare key and the sign on the ‘unlock’ button inside the car got erased. So we couldn’t make the boy press it. He was pressing only the ‘lock’ button. And time was ticking away,” said M V Stephen, a member of the team. The officials then removed the black washer from the small window pane at the back of the car. Using a glass suction, they finally pulled out the small window pane. An officer then unlocked the door and rescued the child.
“The boy did not suffer any injuries. He had no health issues. The whole operation lasted 45 minutes,” the officer said. Luckily, the incident happened in the morning and it was not that hot.
The Fire and Rescue Service team was led by senior officer D Hari and the members included Stephen, Animon, S S Nithin, and V P Swagath.
Safety tips for parents
Always maintain a spare key for your car
Lock your car when parked to prevent children from entering the vehicle and getting trapped
Try to educate children not to play in or around parked cars and to never lock themselves inside
Check the car before locking and make sure that children are not left in the car
Call emergency services without wasting time. If you see a child alone in a locked car, inform the Fire and Rescue Services immediately.