Toddler Rescued from Overheated Car

All clear after a joint effort by the driver in distress, the Red Cross, and the Christophorus crew.

A technical malfunction with the door lock in southeastern Styria on the afternoon of July 21 caused a toddler to be trapped in a locked car for about 20 minutes. With outside temperatures around 30 degrees, the interior of the vehicle had already heated up significantly—a situation that can quickly lead to life-threatening heatstroke, especially in children.

Quick Help as a Team

Thanks to the immediate intervention of Bernhard Angerbauer, a roadside assistance driver at the ÖAMTC station in Fürstenfeld, the child was quickly freed. The child was taken to the air-conditioned Red Cross ambulance, where first aid was administered. The emergency physician from Christophorus 16 —which had been alerted as a precaution—took over the further examination, with a positive outcome: Although the child was exhausted, he was in good health and could be reunited with his parents.

For the ÖAMTC Air Rescue team, this mission marked a special moment: It was already the 19,000th mission since the Christophorus 16 emergency medical helicopter began operations 20 years ago.