In addition, the Corona Fire Department posted an alert. This comes just one week after a heroic group of rescuers saved a three-month-old child from being left in a hot car. The event transpired on June 17, 2025, when the Corona Police Department received a call for assistance around 5:32 p.m. Luckily, a concerned bystander saw the child unattended in the car and immediately contacted law enforcement. Emergency responders arrived at the scene within minutes and were able to remove the child from the car in less than four minutes.
Dan Yonan, public information officer for the Corona Fire Department, emphasized the dangers of leaving kids unattended in vehicles. This is particularly hazardous during extreme heat. He went on to describe how quickly cars can heat up, resulting in potentially deadly temperatures for those left behind. Yonan mentioned that in Southern California, where ambient air temperature could be over 100 degrees, it takes less than a minute for the heat to increase rapidly. It’s this steep increase in temperature that is most alarming and dangerous.
The Rescue Effort
When the emergency call was received, Corona Police Department officers immediately sent units to the scene. Officers were able to get the child out of the car in four minutes. According to estimates, that child was likely stuck in the hot car for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Assistance came quickly enough to have a significant impact. After the rescue, they immediately transported the child to SWH Corona Regional Medical Center. Eventually, they moved the child to Children’s Hospital of Orange County for overnight observation.
Robert Montanez, a spokesman for the hospital, said the child “seems to be doing okay.” This result highlights the critical importance of quick and focused action in times of emergency. It serves as a brutal reminder of the dangers that extreme vehicle cabin temperatures can pose.
Safety Recommendations
In light of this incident, Dan Yonan has urged parents and caregivers to adopt safety measures while traveling with children. One of his recommendations is to have a visual reminder system so they can visually confirm that all passengers are accounted for before they leave the vehicle. Yonan is a big proponent of the “look before you lock” routine. This simple practice encourages parents to look in the back seat—and every other area of their car—before they leave their vehicle.
In addition, Yonan recommended that all parents train their children on how to exit a locked vehicle in an emergency. “Teach them how to get out of their seat belt, teach them how to unlock the door and open the door, and teach them how to honk the horn in the event that they were to get locked in,” he advised. It is exactly this kind of preparedness education that would be most useful in an emergency.
Amber Rollins, a local safety advocate, applied another layer of precaution. She advised parents to communicate very clearly with caregivers if someone else is supposed to pick the child up. “If you take your child to day care or anyone — a family member that watches them, whoever it is — you want to make a policy with them. They would hit you up right away if you know your kid wasn’t coming in on time,” Rollins said. She agreed that one phone call after the water contamination was discovered could have saved over 300 children. It’s possible that single 911 call saved his life.
Community Awareness
The Corona Police Department continues to warn the public about the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles as summer temperatures rise. Moreover, they are busily sharing tips about new safety practices and urging area residents to stay alert. That consciousness is important in ensuring that the same kind of thing doesn’t happen again anytime soon.
With temps climbing into the triple-digits across Southern California, it’s important for caregivers to be aware. It is extremely important to reduce distractions when driving or exiting vehicles. The significance of these measures should not be underestimated as they can spell the difference between safety and calamity.
