Rescue From A Hot Car

Sarah Oropeza, a rescuer who wouldn't give up.

There have been a number of individuals, who either aren't thinking about, or don't realize, the dangers of leaving a vulnerable being in a hot car. The thermometer may read 90 degrees, the heat index may indicate 106 degrees, but the car swiftly becomes an oven. Within just a few minutes, less than 10 minutes, the temperature rises to 120 degrees. A fully capable adult can escape that sweatbox before a heatstroke occurs, but a young child, a pet, or a disabled family member cannot. And being trapped in a hot car can easily become a death sentence.

This happened in Merriam, Kansas. A toddler was left in a car, with the all of the windows up, and no way to leave. Sixteen-year-old Porscha Bland noticed the distressed toddler locked in the car. She went and told store manager at Famous Footwear, Sarah Oropeza, who was ringing up a customer's purchase.

Ms. Oropeza was alarmed, "The windows were totally rolled up, all the doors were locked. She was covered in sweat. When I looked in the back window, she was covered in sweat. She had pulled her hair back and sweat was just dripping." Ms. Bland found something in her trunk and tried to break the window, but was unsuccessful. Two men tried to break it with a chair, but were also unsuccessful. Sarah Bland, meanwhile, called 911.



The two women were waving their arms and yelling in the parking lot, attracting the attention of a passer-by, who provided them with a screwdriver, which was unable to break the window. Then Ms. Oropeza grabbed a tire iron and continue to whack at the window. Eventually, the window cracked. Ms. Oropeza said, "I was just praying, 'Break the window. She is going to die.'" Then another woman came up with a trailer hitch and threw it at the window. And that broke the window and freed the baby. Ms. Oropeza said, "She was crying, and she was drenched in sweat, like her shoes were wet, her socks were wet. She was so drenched in sweat, I just started crying." You see, Ms. Oropeza has two children of her own and knows how precious their lives are.

The little tot was handed to a nurse, who cared for her until paramedics arrived. When they checked her vitals, she was deemed to be in good health and was released into her grandmother's care. The parents and grandmother were extremely grateful for the quick response to save the little girl's life.

So, who was caring for the child? A couple subsequently entered Ms. Oropeza's shoe store, demanding the child back. Said Ms. Oropeza, "No emotion at all, whatsoever. The only question they had for police was if insurance was going to pay to cover the window that we broke."

Those responsible for leaving the child have been ticketed for child endangerment, and may face further charges. As Johnson County District Attorney, Steve Howe, stated, "We take these matters very seriously. We know how hot it was in Kansas City this weekend. There really is no kind of excuse for that kind of conduct." As for Sarah Oropeza, Porscha Bland, and the other women and men who realized the danger in this situation, they all did the right thing. Saving a life is the most important thing - and that is what they did.

The temperature extremes apply for both people and pets.

When you have a child, a disabled senior, or a pet in your care, you are responsible for what happens to that individual. What you believe to be a quick errand can become longer, and when you turn around, if you are lucky, 911 is activated and that being for whom you are responsible is rescued. But, if not, the person or pet could be dead or in critical condition. There is no excuse; clear your mind of all distracting thoughts and focus on your responsibility. If you are incapable of doing so, leave that dependent individual at home in the ac, and in the care of someone more responsible than you, at that time. Caution, knowledge, and responsibility are necessary to prevent endangering lives!

Sarah Oropeza, with others, trying to break the window with whatever is at hand.

Thanks to this article from KCTV5 News: http://www.kctv5.com/story/29582395/woman-saves-child-locked-in-hot-car; and this article from HLN: http://www.hlntv.com/video/2015/07/21/tire-iron-used-rescue-girl-trapped-car.

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