*On Friday, a mother found her 2-year-old child unconscious on the front porch of their Akron, Ohio home and made a frantic call to 911. A video report plays the call, and the operator is telling the woman how to perform CPR on the little girl.
But it was too late.
“It was freezing, and that was my biggest worry,” said neighbor Crystal Lucas, who told the media the woman who lived in the home with her two children, “kept to herself.”
Lucas, who was very emotional as she spoke to the press, said she knew something terrible had happened when the cops came knocking at her door, inquiring about the children.
“They didn’t really divulge what was going on,” Lucas said, “but when he asked about the kids, obviously, something was going on, and I was worried.”
Lucas told CBS Pittsburgh that on several occasions she had seen the children outside playing alone. She said she has even taken them home herself.
No one knows how this happened. How on earth a child was left outside for so long that she would freeze. When I checked to see what the temperature was in Akron, Ohio on Friday it was noted as 30 degrees, with snow showers.
I’ve also seen reports that say the skin can freeze in a minute, and certainly within 10 mins. But for a child of 2 its probably even quicker.
Stanford Children’s Health says…
Frostbite is damage to the skin from freezing and is due to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, usually below 32? F (0? C). It occurs when ice crystals form on the skin or deeper tissue. The most common sites for frostbite are the fingers, toes, ears, nose, chin, and cheeks. The severity depends on several factors including temperature, length of exposure, wind-chill factor, dampness, and type of clothing worn. Children are more prone to frostbite than adults because they lose heat from their skin faster and do not want to come inside when having fun playing outdoors.
I hate to say it, but what kind of mother would not notice her toddler is nowhere around after a short while; not to mention long enough for the child to freeze to death.
So far, no charges have been filed. I don’t expect that to be the case for much longer.
