Sheriff’s deputies summoned, free child

While out running errands on Friday March 6, an aunt and a great grandmother’s excursion took an unusual twist while babysitting a 2 year-old girl.

The three were dropping off items for the Pahrump Moose Lodge’s yard sale when the toddler got a hold of the car key fob of the late model Ford SUV, and locked herself inside the vehicle, at approximately 10:45 a.m., the aunt said.

“We were all getting in the car and I needed to put her grandma’s walker in the back, and the baby was holding the key,” the aunt said. “I had the door open and just as I put the walker in the back, and shut the hatch, I came back around, and her great-grandmother closed the door, but the baby just happened to have the key in her hand.”

Turns out, after all of the doors were shut, the toddler pushed the lock button on the key fob, essentially locking herself inside the vehicle.

The Nye County Sheriff’s Office was immediately contacted.

Upon arrival, a sheriff’s deputy utilized what’s known as an “air wedge” device and long flexible rod in an attempt to unlock the passenger-side door and free the child.

Unfortunately, the power door lock was positioned, where the deputy could not get the proper angle and leverage to immediately unlock it, as more than a half-dozen Moose Lodge members looked on, all the while offering up suggestions on how to get the door open.

On older model vehicles, what’s known as a “slim-jim,” most likely would have been successful, but the tool is effectively useless on newer model vehicles.

It should be noted that during the deputy’s efforts, the child pushed the panic button on the key fob which activated the blaring sound of the vehicle’s horn.

After numerous attempts to find the perfect angle and leverage, a second deputy arrived on scene, and requested the sheriff’s office dispatcher to contact a locksmith.

Unfortunately, after calling a local locksmith business, the dispatcher advised the deputies that the call went directly to voicemail.

It was even suggested to break one of the windows of the vehicle, but low and behold, after roughly a half hour, the deputy eventually found the perfect angle and was able to finally unlock the door, as Moose Lodge members loudly cheered the deputy’s unwavering efforts.

Though the toddler was a bit flush in the face, she was no worse for the wear after drinking a cold bottle of water, with a very curious expression on her face.

The child’s aunt meanwhile, said she learned a very valuable lesson from the ordeal.

“Normally I don’t let her hold the key, but as I was putting her in, she took the key,” the aunt said. “She punches buttons all the time at home. We don’t have another key, so we do need to get an extra key, and thank goodness it wasn’t hot today.”

When asked whether she would provide her name, the aunt’s reply was short and to the point.

“If you use my name about this, I would probably get run out of the county,” she said.

Ironically, the model of the SUV is the popular Ford Escape, believe it or not.

The Pahrump Moose's community yard sale is going on from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The Women of the Moose in Pahrump area also having a bake sale.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes