ORANGE CITY, Fla. (WHDH) — An alert bystander is being credited with saving an 8-month’s old life after a Florida mother left the baby in a hot car.
Jessica Kaiser thought she saw a baby doll in a car parked in a lot on July 17, but a closer look made her realize that this was an infant, according to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
After dialing 911, first responders rescued the child from the car, which had its windows up and no air conditioning on during a 93-degree day, Chitwood said.
“We avoided a disaster,” he recalled. “Had that woman, had Jessica Kaiser not come out and been observant like that, we would’ve been discussing a tragedy of an 8-month-old child.”
The mother, Meagan Burgess, reportedly came out of a nearby store 24 minutes after the 911 call was made.
Burgess told investigators she thought she’d dropped all of her kids off before running errands.
“I work at the emergency department. I’m a nurse; I hear these stories,” Burgess said. “I have four kids and I always wonder how could that possibly happen.”
Chitwood hopes this serves as a reminder to be aware of your surroundings.
“We can’t hammer home enough how important it is for parents to stay on top of their game and understand that that little life is depending on you,” he said.
Burgess was arrested and charged with child neglect.
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