A police officer broke a window to save a baby from a sweltering car.
One of the most tragic of circumstances is losing a life before it ever had a chance to begin. Thanks to quick thinking, officer, Christain Pinilla, he kept one little girl’s life from being lost prematurely.
It was a hot, sweltering day in Duncanville, Texas when dispatch put through a 9-1-1 call from a concerned woman. She could see there was a baby girl, strapped in her car seat in a locked Suburban SUV. By the time he had arrived on the scene, the hot Texas heat had already risen from 93 degrees to 123 degrees inside the car. Immediately, the Officer checked every door before deciding to break one of the front windows.
The worst part for Officer Christain and bystanders was listening to the baby girl’s pleas for help and crying because she was scared, alone, and already showing signs of heat exhaustion. The United States Department says the majority of hot car deaths — 54% — happen because someone forgets a child in a car.
In 2019 alone, 53 deaths were recorded and had it not been for Officer Christain, this little girl could have become just another number. You may be asking yourself, “How does this happen?” But families who’ve lost a loved one thought the same thing at one point, but then the unthinkable tragedy happened to them.
What seemed like minutes later, the mother arrived in a panic. She thought her child had already been taken out of the carseat. However, she was distracted which is an all-to-common issue. The officer also said it doesn’t matter how inconvenient it is or how quick you think you’re going to run an errand, never leave a baby in a car seat. Thank God for officers like Christain who serve our communities selflessly on a daily basis. And if you see an officer, shake their hand. If you see a baby in a trapped car, don’t wait until it’s too late!
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.