Tennessee Firefighters Heroically Save Five Week Old from Locked Hot Car that Also Had an Open Tequila Bottle Inside

Firefighters rescued a five-week-old baby boy from a hot car in a Kroger parking lot in Murfreesboro, TN.

Firefighter Tyson Donaldson, of Murfreesboro Fire-Rescue Department, told WSMV-TV he learned of the infant in the car after arriving at the scene.

Donaldson shared, “I got out of the truck and I walked over to the police officers, and they let us know that there might be a baby in the back seat of the car.”

He and firefighter Richard Goodyear broke the windows of the 2013 Ford Escape and were able to evacuate the baby from the vehicle safely.

According to a post on the Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department Facebook page, it was 97 degrees at the time with a heat index of 108.

When they got to the baby who was in a rear-facing car seat covered in blankets he was sweaty and barely breathing. The infant was immediately taken to a police officer’s patrol car to cool down in the air conditioning.

An off-duty NICU nurse Melissa Nicholson approached and offered assistance. Nicholson helped firefighters perform other medical care on the baby, this care was invaluable in keeping the baby alive until Rutherford County EMS arrived and took over care.

Donaldson said, “Without a doubt, the beautiful baby is still on this earth, thanks to concerned citizens, emergency personnel, and the off-duty nurse.”

The call that led to rescuing the baby was originally a welfare check, a customer reported a woman acting strangely in the parking lot of the Kroger to employees who contacted the police.

Police found 27-year-old Alexandira Lee standing outside the SUV, she appeared to be unable to keep her balance was swaying in an attempt to stay upright.

Police found a half-empty open bottle of Tequilla in the car. Lee was arrested and is facing charges of driving under the influence, and aggravated child neglect/abuse charges.

She is currently being held on a $51,500 bond and a hearing is scheduled for August 15th.

MFRD Assistant Cheif Medical Services Jeff Wright shared, “We want to remind parents not to leave children or animals unattended in a hot car. It is not only dangerous, but potentially deadly with the extreme temperatures we’ve been experiencing.”

The infant’s life was thankfully saved, some helpless children are not as lucky. Children should not be left unattended in a vehicle, especially in warm to hot weather as the outcome may not be the same.