A toddler, approximately three years old, was found Thursday morning inside a locked vehicle in Rehovot, after apparently being left there alone overnight.
Magen David Adom (MDA) medics and paramedics who were called to the scene examined the child and determined that he did not require hospitalization.
Senior MDA medic Meir Sa'ar said, “When we arrived at the scene, we saw a crowd around a car on the street, with one person holding a child about three years old in his arms. People at the scene told us that a man out for a morning walk heard screaming and crying from a commercial vehicle parked on the street. He looked inside and saw the distressed and crying child of about three. He knocked on nearby doors and, after several minutes succeeded in locating the vehicle’s owner, who removed the child.”
According to Sa'ar, “From what the bystanders told us we understood that the child had apparently been there for several hours. The alacrity of the person who had been out walking undoubtedly saved the little boy’s life — because luckily even though the day is hot, it was still cool outside. Had the child remained in the car any longer, this incident could have ended in a very serious tragedy. We gave the boy water, performed medical examinations, and at this stage the boy did not need further treatment at the hospital.”
In a statement, MDA reminded parents and school bus drivers, especially during summer and hot days, to thoroughly check their vehicles at the end of every trip to prevent children from being forgotten — a phenomenon that can lead to disaster.