New parents are often advised by seasoned older relatives to childproof their homes. After all, tiny tots can get themselves into difficulties with anything from electrical sockets to coffee table edges.
But that advice was not heeded by one Oregon homeowner. The 1920s style residence with heating vents built into the floor proved potentially hazardous for one ultimately fortunate family.
Mom Saydie Reedy, of Coburg, was cleaning in the kitchen last Wednesday when her 3-year-old son Jackson burst in to alert her to some kind of incident involving his younger brother, 10-month-old Kolson.
“My oldest came running to me calmly saying, ‘Baby in.’ He has apraxia, which is a speech disorder and doesn’t communicate well,” Reedy told local station KMTR.
Reedy immediately started looking for Kolson but couldn’t find him anywhere. By now frantic with worry, she called the emergency services for help.
“I searched the whole house for baby brother and noticed the vent gate was pulled up,” Reedy said. “I couldn’t hear him in there, but he was nowhere else to be found so I quickly called 911 panicking.”
Minutes later, Coburg police officers and fire officials responded and rescued Kolson after finding him more than 8 feet down the heating vent.
“An officer stripped to pants and T-shirt and went under the house,” she recalled. “He shoved my son back up the vent, where another officer was waiting to grab him.”
Coburg police later documented their rescue act in a post on Facebook.
“CPD got a little visitor,” the post said. “We’re thankful our officers and our partners at Coburg Fire District were at the right place at the right time.”
Most importantly of all, little Kolson did not sustain any injuries as a result of the fall.
His mom, however, was a little worried about what local law enforcement might think of the lack of house childproofing.
Reedy’s children had “never touched” the vents before, she told the Oregonian newspaper, adding that she was a little nervous before police responded to her home.
“I was pretty anxious — I thought to myself, who loses a kid in a vent?” Reedy added.
Those vents are sure going to get covered up now.
 | COBURG, OREGON |
|---|---|
| Location | 102 miles south of Portland |
| Population | 1,035 |
| Median Household Income | $47,500 |
| Quirky Fact | The city was originally named Diamond after John Diamond, an early pioneer in the area but its current name comes from a stallion that was imported from the Coburg district of Bavaria, Germany |
Phew, that could have ended up so much worse. You need eyes in the back of your head when they’re that age!
He definitely looks annoyed more than relieved! Bet he gave mom a hard time after this!!