Jarosław Sowizdraniuk, a medic with over 15 years of experience, undertook this effective demonstration in a city center parking lot, where he stayed in the car for an hour to monitor his heart rate, blood sugar levels and blood pressure using sensors.
During the experiment, Sowizdraniuk described his deteriorating condition as the car's interior heated up rapidly.
"Despite the pleasant breeze outside, inside the car felt like I was breathing in fire," he said.
His body temperature escalated quickly, reaching a high of 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 Fahrenheit) by the experiment's end, with his sweat attempting to cool his overheated skin.
He also noted a rapid increase in the heart rate due to stress hormones, which severely spiked his blood sugar levels.
Sowizdraniuk’s distressing experience underscores the dangers of leaving children or pets in vehicles, even for short periods, such as a quick shopping visit.
"I did this experiment because I wanted to alert parents and caregivers about the risks of leaving their loved ones in cars," he said.
The medic highlighted several crucial actions in such situations, advising that if a car is locked and a person inside cannot open it, one should break the window opposite the locked individual, ideally at the upper corner, using a tool like a hammer or rock.
Polish law permits property damage if it's in the interest of saving lives.
Sowizdraniuk also urged immediately cooling the person by removing outer clothing, dousing them with water, moving them to a shaded or air-conditioned area, and giving them plenty of water to drink.
Sowizdraniuk praised a law in Italy that he said mandates alarms in cars that activate if a child is left buckled in, suggesting such systems could prevent tragic oversights.
He cautioned against the complacency of leaving children in cars even momentarily, as delays can occur unexpectedly.
This dramatic experiment was recorded and is available to watch on Sowizdraniuk's Facebook profile, shedding light on the severe risks of car-induced heat exposure.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP