Extreme heat has embroiled Texas in recent weeks, and in a dramatic video captured at an H-E-B grocery store parking lot in the South Texas town of Harlingen, Good Samaritans are shown rescuing a baby trapped in a locked car.
The video of the daring rescue comes from TikToker @lindahdz91 and has attracted over 3.7 million views since it went up on Thursday.
The video starts with a man in an H-E-B parking lot using a crowbar to break the glass of a car’s windshield. He successfully does so and then reaches into the car, seemingly trying to unlock the passenger door.
@lindahdz91 Baby locked in car.. hope baby is okay not sure who vehicle or whos baby it is #awarness #baby #harlingen #956 ♬ original sound – user4362240051779
The video then cuts to someone pulling a baby out of the hole in the windshield.
The TikToker added context with a caption reading, “Baby locked in car.. hope baby is okay not sure who vehicle or [whose] baby it is.”
According to Weather Underground, Harlingen’s high temperature on Thursday was 100 degrees.
One commenter observed, “Absolutely doesn’t matter how they got this poor baby out, they are [heroes] for saving this baby’s life.”
Another remarked, “poor baby those were his guardian angels thank God he’s okay.”
Several people wondered why the baby was removed from the car via the cracked windshield rather than a safer exit. One asked, “Why wouldn’t they just break the side windows and got him out through the door?!”
The creator responded, “Side window wasnt breaking and girl tried opening the door but wasn’t opening,” adding, “that’s why they put baby thru window.”
Many Texans are familiar with public service announcements warning people not to leave children or pets in parked cars, especially during the hot summer months when strings of days with triple-digit high temperatures are the norm.
As the National Weather Service warned on its site, “It is NEVER safe to leave a toddler, disabled person or pet locked in a car, even in the winter. If you have a toddler in your household, lock your cars, even in your own driveway. Kids play in cars or wander outside and get into a car and can die in 10 minutes! Based on data from 1998-2022, an average of 38 childhood heatstroke fatalities occur each year. Pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths (PVHD) have occurred year-round.”
An article from a AAA website added, “Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash vehicle fatalities for kids 14 and younger. In 90-degree weather, the inside of a vehicle, in direct sunlight, can exceed 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Even on a mild, sunny day, temperatures inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels in just 10 minutes.”
The Daily Dot contacted @lindahdz91 via TikTok comment and H-E-B via email for further information.
