Three-year-old boy dies after getting head stuck in car window

CALGARY- A three-year-old boy died on Saturday after his head got lodged in a car window. Police say the toddler was playing in a garage at his Calgary home when he put his head into the window of a disabled car and got stuck. His mother found him unconscious, not breathing and without a pulse. She called 911, and followed the instructions of an EMS dispatcher in an effort to revive the boy. He died in the ambulance on the way to hospital. "Nobody can ever appreciate or ever understand fully the huge and overwhelming emotions of trying to save the life of your own child," said EMS spokesman Mike Plato. "In what you can only imagine was a devastating situation she did everything right, she did everything she could. She is just devastated." The boy leaves behind two sisters, one, his twin and another aged six. "The window was left open and the kid reached in to look inside the vehicle. He got stuck. He reached in and he got caught," said acting duty Inspector John Szczupack. "It's a terrible tragedy."[/b]

National Post

We've had a ton of discussion on what if senerios.. When this was first reported, it was really heartless:

In February, a two-year-old girl died in Calgary when her head got caught in a power window.
She and her brother had been left in the running vehicle while their mother was running an errand.
Calgary police are sending out a stern reminder to parents to be cautious about leaving children in vehicles.[/b]

source

This poor family. I just can't say "well she should have been watching that boy better" because the whole family was there. I heard that they were all watching TV and noticed he was gone.. then the rest of the story. How many times do we think our little one is right there safe but notice they aren't actually there? I don't think anymore could have been done. WDYT?

ETA: I think I should have made this clearer in the first post. (Sorry girls.)

When the story of the boy was first told, they wrapped into the other story which was completely unnecessary and heartless, IMHO. (Sorry, if you read both links in it's entirety, it would have been more clear but I still should have been more clear.) So at first they reported the accident and painted the mom to look like she was to blame. The first link/quote shows the whole story so that's why I think it was premature of the cops to say that "reminder."

[jhmomofmany]

I honestly think all parents will suffer a lapse of judgement or vigilance at one time or another. It is absolutely pointless and cruel to say this or that should have been done.

I honestly think all parents will suffer a lapse of judgement or vigilance at one time or another. It is absolutely pointless and cruel to say this or that should have been done.[/b]

I agree. I think it ties into the whole trampoline thread here because of it.

[SusieQ2]

Why were children that young left unattended around a vehicle. I highly doubt that they boy got his head stuck and immediately passed out. I would think he struggled for several minutes at least.

It is definitely sad and my heart breaks for his family. That is just one of the many examples of what can happen in the matter of a few unsupervised minutes.

I heard that they were all watching TV and noticed he was gone.. then the rest of the story. How many times do we think our little one is right there safe but notice they aren't actually there? I don't think anymore could have been done. WDYT?[/b]

[SusieQ2]

What about the second story? What excuse are we going to use for that parent?

[AmberL]

I'll be honest and say there are times that I'm not actively watching my son. He's 14 months and into EVERYTHING. I don't tend to worry about him until it's quiet...then I know he's likely into something he shouldn't be. I shouldn't do that because if he's quiet long enough for me to notice, that could be long enough for him to choke to death on something. The thought sickens me. However, I cannot physically have my eyes on him 24/7. All a parent can do is the best they can do. If something happened to my son in the few minutes I wasn't 'actively' watching him...I'd be devastated. But if someone told me afterwards that I should have been watching him better or more closely...what purpose does that serve except to make me feel worse?

[AnnD]

I do think that parents can't have their eyes on mobile children at all times, every single second of the day. It's unrealistic. I can see how something like this could happen to even the best parents...I suppose one could say, well, the garage should have been locked. But, I don't lock the door from the house to our garage.....I feel so bad for that family.

[SusieQ2]

I do think that parents can't have their eyes on mobile children at all times, every single second of the day. It's unrealistic. I can see how something like this could happen to even the best parents...I suppose one could say, well, the garage should have been locked. But, I don't lock the door from the house to our garage.....I feel so bad for that family.[/b]

Even more simple than that, the car could have been locked or there could have been a child safety lock on the door to the garage to keep the child from ever getting in there. A garage is a very dangerous place for an unattended child.

[AnnD]

Even more simple than that, the car could have been locked or there could have been a child safety lock on the door to the garage to keep the child from ever getting in there. A garage is a very dangerous place for an unattended child.
[/b]

Those are good points.

[AmberL]

Those are good points.
[/b]

Good points, true enough. But let's be realistic, things get forgotten. I can't count how many times we've come home (to our HOUSE) and realized we hadn't locked the front door. So how many people might come in carrying work, or groceries AND a child (or two) and not remember to lock the doors? You can ALWAYS say someone should have done more...but honestly it may not ALWAYS be true, realistically speaking.

I'm sure the parents in both these scenarios have totally beaten themselves up about it. I'm not going to do it. These were accidents. Could something have been done to prevent it? Sure, but that is the case with nearly every accident. As parents, we do all that we can to protect our kids, but we're human, we make mistakes, we make bad judgement calls and usually things turn out ok. In some instances, they don't and it's very sad. But I agree with the others that say you can't prevent every accident from happening, and you definitely can't keep an eye on your children every second of the day.

[picklesmama]

Those are good points.
[/b]

Yes, there should have been a lock on the garage and a lock on the car, and that much time should not have gone by before the childs absence was noticed. So yes, more could have been done, but no, it doesn't help matters to criticize after the fact. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say.

I am terrified of things like this happening. I have a lock on everything, my house is a fortress, it would be so comforting to say to myself, well that would never happen to us... but there have been times when my hands were full, or I was in a hurry or distracted, and a short time has passed before I remembered to come back and do the lock!

[rdhdtrue]

I am just an inherited worry wart and that is why I will not let the boys have a trampoline nor ride on an ATV/ Motorcycle of any kind. I also will not let them go into anyone's backyard that I can not see or inside their house. I am not saying I am right but I would rather err on the side of caution then have regrets later.

I actually have high regards for the Mom's that can let their children have some freedom but I can not. My Mom was a HUGE worry wart and I got it from her. I did let my oldest (10) go to his first sleepover this year and that was a huge step for me.

I think these stories are so so sad

For the second story, I don't agree with letting kids stay in the car to go run errands. Especially if the car is turned on, which for power windows and t.v. running, it must have been. Unless I'm reading the story wrong...

rdhdtrue~~~good for you! It's a big step that is!

I think I should have made this clearer in the first post. (Sorry girls.)

When the story of the boy was first told, they wrapped into the other story which was completely unnecessary and heartless, IMHO. (Sorry, if you read both links in it's entirety, it would have been more clear but I still should have been more clear.) So at first they reported the accident and painted the mom to look like she was to blame. The first link/quote shows the whole story so that's why I think it was premature of the cops to say that "reminder."

I agree, and I did read both links.