In a disturbing series of events, three children were found in serious condition after being trapped in vehicles in separate incidents within just two hours of each other.
A five-year-old child and a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler were discovered in a car in the town of Elyakhin, south of Hadera, in a state of confusion and suffering from heatstroke after being trapped in the car for about two hours.
Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics who were dispatched to the scene provided initial medical care, including cooling and medication. The two children were then transported to Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera. The toddler is reported to be in serious and unstable condition, sedated and on a ventilator, while the child is in moderate but stable condition.
The situation began when the Hadera police station received a report that the two children had gone missing from their home. The police, in cooperation with volunteers and local council inspectors, conducted a thorough search and successfully located the children in the car.
The police have opened an investigation into the case.
MDA paramedics who responded to the scene, Asaf Tapuhi and Idan Binder, described the difficult scene: “When we arrived at the vehicle, it was a very troubling sight. There was a lot of commotion, and bystanders helped us extract the children, a five-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl, after they had been in the car for a long time. We began performing medical checks and quickly noticed they were disoriented and showing significant signs of heatstroke. We provided them with first aid, including cooling, medication, and ventilation, and transported them to the hospital, where their condition was critical.”
Shortly after, MDA received a report of another child, a two-year-old girl, who had been forgotten in a car for about two hours in Hadera. Paramedics who were called to the scene found the toddler in severe heatstroke and performed life-saving measures before transporting her to the hospital.
MDA senior medic Roy Shushan shared the details of the second case: “We quickly arrived at the home and were told that the child had been trapped in a car for an extended period. When they found her, she was unconscious. We started medical checks and found no pulse or breathing. We immediately began advanced resuscitation, including chest compressions and ventilation, and transported her to the hospital in critical condition. During the transport, her condition deteriorated, and we continued to perform resuscitation.”
MDA paramedic Yossi Bouskila, who treated the three children, expressed his distress: “I was with the family when I received the first report of the two children found in Elyakhin. I immediately headed to the scene. The two children were outside a nearby house, one of them was confused, and the other was unconscious. With the help of neighbors who brought us ice, we cooled the children while administering life-saving care. Later, just two hours later, I was called to another similar case in Hadera. The child had been in a locked car for a long time. After being found unconscious, she was brought into the house and cooled with running water. With the MDA intensive care unit team, we provided her with life-saving treatment and transported her to the hospital in critical condition. During the transport, her condition worsened, and we continued resuscitation.”
These incidents serve as a chilling reminder of the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles, especially in the heat. The police and MDA continue to investigate, and officials urge the public to be vigilant and never leave children in cars, even for a brief time