On the afternoon of Monday, May 20, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) deputies rescued a 1-year-old child that was locked inside a vehicle with the engine off and all windows closed.
At approximately 5:05 p.m., the FCSO Communications Center received a 9-1-1 call from a woman reporting that her daughter had accidentally been locked inside a vehicle in the parking lot of Walmart in Palm Coast. FCSO deputies and a Palm Coast Fire Department (PCFD) engine were dispatched to the scene.
Deputy First Class Finn and Deputy Harrison were the first to arrive on the scene. Upon arrival, the deputies located a male and female standing outside the vehicle, which was not running. According to the male, he had placed the child in the vehicle, gone around to the other side, and discovered the door was locked and the keys were locked inside the vehicle.
According to the two, the child had been locked in the vehicle between eight and 10 minutes. Due to the heat, deputies observed the child to be sweating and appearing to be in distress.
Deputy Harrison then utilized Shatterballs to break the rear-passenger window of the vehicle, the farthest window from where the child was located. He then cleared the remaining glass with his collapsable baton and unlocked the vehicle from the inside. The child was retrieved and assessed by the PCFD, where she was determined to be okay, despite the 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.
