It was a scary, but very lucky day for a 2-year-old boy. KSEE24 Photographer Frank Romero found the boy and says the boy was, "Just standing there, nobody around. It's a very dangerous situation."
The toddler was wandering a heavily traveled road in the foothills wearing only a diaper. Romero says, "He would have been clipped, because he was standing literally on the roadway. Fortunately I was able to see the little boy and stop and retrieve him before anything happened."
The Fresno County Sheriff's Office was able to locate the boy's father.
The father told authorities he had worked overnight, and fallen asleep. It appeared the child managed to escape from a locked sliding glass door.
The incident hits close to home for mother of two, Crystal Prudente. She knows it only takes a second for kids to disappear. "It's immediate. As soon as you turn your eyes. So it's kinda scary. You have to watch them continuously, all the time, and it's a non-stop job."
Carlos Flores of Safe Kids Central Valley says, "There can be a momentary lapse of supervision even with good parents. In fact that's almost to be expected because it's literally impossible to be hovered over our children 100% of the time."
He also says there are still plenty of ways to protect your child, even during a lapse of supervision. Door knob locks, and locks and latches installed in a place where a young child can't reach are good ways to child proof your home.
So is an alarm, which can be attached to any type of door to alert parents when kids are trying to get out. It's not just to keep them out of harm's way, but a way to also give them the little bit of freedom they need.
"That's the wonderful thing about toddlers is that they're out exploring the world, they're learning about the human experience and often times that get's them into a little bit of mischief," says Flores.
Safe Kids frequently give presentations on child-proofing your home at local fairs and events. As for Monday's incident, the sheriff's office did determine it was an accident and charges will not be filed on the parents.
TXT 24
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