First responders are commending a downtown resident who rushed to help a child injured by a garage door.
A number of downtown residents took to social media on Sunday night to voice concerns for a local family, after hearing a woman screaming for help.
New Westminster police responded to a call in the 100 block of Agnes Street after nearby residents called 911 after hearing a mother in distress.
“When officers attended the scene they found a child was being tended to by numerous bystanders,” said a New Westminster Police Department news release. “Officers provided aid and called for BC Ambulance and New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services.”
Officers learned a young child had become entangled in the garage door and had suffered injuries.
New West police say “a heroic neighbour” heard the mother in distress and rushed to free the child who was unable to free themselves from the moving parts of the garage door.
“This person heard someone in distress and came running to their aid,” said NWPD spokesperson Sgt. Andrew Leaver. “They ran out of their residence not knowing what they were going to encounter, and when they saw the child they acted quickly to free them.”
In an email to the Record on Monday afternoon, the New Westminster Police Department said the child was sent to hospital, but the extent of their injuries was unknown at that time.
The New Westminster Police Department would like to thank this neighbour for their willingness to help in an emergency.
Those sentiments were echoed by the fire department.
“It’s heartwarming to see neighbours doing the right thing,” said acting fire Chief Erin Williams. “When our staff arrived on scene they could tell everyone was concerned for the well-being of both the child and their mother.”
Police also thanked neighbours for their patience, as securing the scene made the parking garage inaccessible for several hours.
