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question everything

(47,264 posts)
Sun Sep 16, 2018, 01:52 PM Sep 2018

'I can't believe I'm alive': A 75-year-old recalls horrifying day trapped in a hot car (for 14 hrs)

Locked inside his luxury roadster, Peter Pyros thought he was going to die. Feeling more sweat and steam than fresh air to breathe, he said he scribbled a note so loved ones would not think he committed suicide. "This is a terrible death," he said he wrote. "I can't get out of the car." The 75-year-old said he became trapped in his 2006 Cadillac XLR last month in Cleveland's 70-degree heat when the vehicle's key fob malfunctioned. And for nearly 14 excruciating hours, he was a prisoner in his car, he said.

(snip)

Pyros said he tried to start the engine but nothing happened. Then, he said, he tried to open the doors and realized they wouldn't budge... During those nearly 14 agonizing hours, Pyros, who was struggling to breathe, passed out twice, he said. Each time he woke up, he said, he thought to himself, "I can't believe I'm in this situation." He was a 75-year-old man locked inside his own car, pleading, passing out and when he needed to, urinating inside his shoes.

Although Pyros didn't know it, he said, his neighbor heard him pounding and sent him a text message. When the neighbor didn't get a response, Pyros said, the neighbor hopped the fence and noticed that Pyros's garage door was open. Pyros's car was parked there — and Pyros was locked inside. His neighbor called 911, Pyros said, and it took quite a while for firefighters to try to free him. When the firefighters could not open the door, Pyros said, they had him pop the hood and jumped the engine.

(snip)

Pyros said he did not know there was a door release handle and, even if he had thought to read the owner's manual, it was too steamy in the car to see it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2018/09/10/i-cant-believe-im-alive-year-old-recalls-horrifying-day-trapped-hot-car


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We are going to check whether the doors on our cars can be manually opened (I think they can), also check the manuals and, if worse come to worse, we have these small hammers that are for in case of falling into water but can work in this condition, too. Scary


5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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'I can't believe I'm alive': A 75-year-old recalls horrifying day trapped in a hot car (for 14 hrs) (Original Post) question everything Sep 2018 OP
Keep a philips screwdriver in glove box to punch and break side window... brush Sep 2018 #1
This kind of stuff really inspires me to trust automated things... discntnt_irny_srcsm Sep 2018 #2
What are these hammers? Control-Z Sep 2018 #3
Yes, and for cutting the seat belt question everything Sep 2018 #4
Wow! I had no idea. Control-Z Sep 2018 #5

Control-Z

(15,681 posts)
5. Wow! I had no idea.
Sun Sep 16, 2018, 07:14 PM
Sep 2018

I always worry about my kids who go on frequent trips. One of these along with an emergency manual radio and cell phone charger would be a great gift, imo.

Thanks for the link!

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