A two-year-old girl who was accidentally locked inside her mother’s car was safely rescued by Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) officers on Monday morning.
The incident occurred on Inhlaba Grove in Waterloo at around 09:39, when the distressed mother contacted the RUSA Operations Centre. She reported that she had unintentionally locked her yellow Hyundai Atos with her child still strapped into the front passenger seat. The car keys were visible on the driver’s seat.
According to RUSA, the mother had initially contacted a locksmith, but after waiting for two hours with no response, she turned to the reaction unit for urgent help.
Reaction Officers were immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, they found the toddler fastened in her baby seat. Using a wire and careful door manipulation techniques, the officers managed to unlock the vehicle and safely free the child.
The girl was unharmed, and the quick response by RUSA has been praised for preventing what could have turned into a far more serious situation.
Authorities urge parents to remain vigilant when handling car keys around children and to seek emergency assistance immediately in similar situations.