A potentially tragic incident was narrowly avoided Thursday afternoon in Netivot after a young child became trapped inside an abandoned vehicle during extreme summer heat and was unable to escape until a passerby noticed the situation and rushed to help.
The child remained inside the sealed vehicle during the hottest part of the day until the owner of a local delivery company happened to pass by and spotted the child in distress.
According to a report by the local news outlet Netivoti, the delivery driver saw the child desperately trying to open the car doors but unable to get out. He immediately ran to the vehicle and succeeded in rescuing the child. By the time the child was freed, he was reportedly sweating heavily and appeared dehydrated after spending a prolonged period inside the sweltering vehicle.
The vehicle was reportedly abandoned, not in use, and had neither a valid inspection nor insurance. Authorities have not yet determined how the child managed to get inside the car or how long he remained trapped before being discovered.
Baruch Hashem, the incident ended without injuries. Nevertheless, it once again highlighted the serious danger posed by abandoned vehicles that remain unlocked and accessible to children, particularly during the summer months, when temperatures inside a closed vehicle can climb rapidly to life-threatening levels.
In recent years, Israel has witnessed numerous tragic cases involving children who were forgotten or became trapped inside vehicles. According to data from the Beterem Child Safety Organization, 23 children have lost their lives over the past five years after being forgotten or trapped in vehicles. During the same period, 53 children were injured, while another 1,513 were rescued safely.
Child safety experts warn that the temperature inside a closed vehicle can soar to approximately 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit) within about 30 minutes, even when the outside temperature is only around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). They stress that parking in the shade or leaving a window slightly open does not eliminate the danger. Infants and young children are especially vulnerable because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than those of adults, and they are unable to free themselves.
ZAKA and the Beterem Child Safety Organization are urging parents never to leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even briefly. They also recommend slowing down and consciously checking that every child has exited the vehicle before walking away by using multiple senses—looking at the children, confirming they are with you, physically touching them, and listening for them. According to safety experts, engaging sight, hearing, touch, and movement together helps reinforce the routine and reduces the risk of forgetting a child.
The Netivot incident also underscores the importance of securing or removing abandoned vehicles from residential neighborhoods to prevent similar potentially deadly situations in the future.
{Matzav.com}
