Sgt Mike Woods of the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Emergency Operations Center for a report of a ”child locked inside a vehicle.” While in route to the call, Woods met with Laurinburg Police Officer Caleb Locklear to use his unlocking device.
Once on the scene, Woods was advised by the grandparents the child had been locked in the car by accident and that the 3-month-old child had been locked inside between 10 and 15 minutes.
Sgt. Mike Woods, of the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office, did his part in rescuing a 3-month-old boy locked in a vehicle on a very hot day.
The grandmother put the child in his car seat with keys in hand. While properly buckling the baby in his seat she laid the keys beside his seat and waiting for another grandchild to come from the home she closed the car door only realize she lock the keys inside with her cell phone. She quickly went into the home to advise someone to call 911.
After the baby was removed from the car, Woods said that he was “not an expert in using the unlock devices and the good Lord was on his side.”
“The very first try the door unlocked,” Woods said.
The grandparents were very grateful for Woods’s quick response time. The grandmother took the photo of Woods holding their grandchild and suggested someone let Sheriff Kersey to know right away.
Woods, father of three, stated he knew time was critical and everyone was thankful this was a positive learning experience.
Experts say about 30 children die each year from being left in a hot car. There are tests that show for instance on a 70-degree day and inside a car temps can rise to 117 degrees and cracking the windows could make things worse. There’s actually a misconception that cracking the windows to allow air in helps, but it acts as a compressor, and can raise the temps about 15 percent.
While this was a happy outcome please remember never leave children or pets in your vehicle at anytime of the year.
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