Never leave pets or children in a hot car
The children, between the ages of four and eleven, were trapped in the bakkie, and it was only when the 11-year old started panicking that members of the public noticed what was going on, Kormorant reports.
They tried to explain to the 11-year old how to unlock the vehicle from the inside, but she couldn’t.
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A bystander managed to get a hold of the father who then gave them permission to break one of the back windows to get the children out.
The father had left his children in the care of a friend, and he was unaware that the friend would go shopping and leave his children trapped in a locked car. According to one of the security guards, the vehicle had been standing out in the sun for three to four hours.
Emergency services assessed the five children on the scene and they were found to be in good health.
It is extremely dangerous to leave a child or a pet in a hot car. The risk of excessive heat is water loss (dehydration) which can cause the impairment of body function and lead to heat stroke that can be life threatening.
Even with an outside temperature of 24 degrees, the temperature in a closed car can reach 38 degrees in as little as 10 minutes. In 30 minutes the temperature can be as high as 49 degrees.
In warmer weather an outside temperature of 38 degrees will lead to the inside of a car being 60 degrees with in 15 minutes.
Should you come across children or pets trapped in a locked, here is what you should do:
Signs of dehydration and heat stress in children
Signs of dehydration and heat stress in pets
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