Only in a Jeep

[Evil-Jeep]

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/090713/K071302AU.html



Three-year-old boy safe after driving toy truck into water, floating downstream
Published: Monday, July 13, 2009 | 10:07 PM ET
Canadian Press THE CANADIAN PRESS
VANCOUVER, B.C. - A three-year-old boy who rode his toy jeep into a northern B.C. river and floated 12 kilometres downstream has no idea just what kind of danger he was in.

"I don't think he really realizes the significance of what happened," said Const. Jackelynn Passarell with Fort St. John RCMP.

"Speaking with the members, he seemed pretty excited to be dealing with the police. I don't think he really realized the gravity of what had just occurred."

The boy, whose name has not been released, was at a campsite with his family Sunday morning when he vanished.

Police launched a search soon after and, aided by a local boater, spotted the boy alive and well in the Peace River, still sitting in his battery-powered jeep.

"One of the locals who was on a boat was about 12 kilometres down the river and he located the boy, and the boy was actually floating down the river on his electric jeep," Passarell said.

"The person who was helping us out took his boat over, wrapped him in a blanket and brought him back to his family."

Before being pulled to safety, the toddler was sitting on top of his vehicle in water that was three metres deep.

The child was taken to hospital for treatment from mild exposure.

Passarell said his parents were understandably relieved by the outcome.

"They were very upset from the get-go," she said.

"The worst-case scenario is on your mind, so when the parents found out the boy was alive, they were very grateful."

Passarell thanked everyone who assisted police in the search, adding that while the incident had a happy ending, the result could have been far worse.

© The Canadian Press, 2009

[w squared]

"could be far worse" is putting it mildly.

The Peace is not exactly a calm little stream in the part of the world!

[01sahara]

After just returning from two weeks of camping with three kids including a 4 year old all I can say is HOLLY CRAP! I can imagine the panic the parents felt. Very Lucky Family. 3-4 is such a difficult age they are very mobile and want to be independent but are not old enough.

[dac]

I'm with Blair on this one.  Having 2 young kids stories like this give me that worried uneasy feeling.  Luckly the little guy was alright.

[LifesGrand]

I can vouch for how fast a 4 year old can disappear.  

X2... My wife & I had a scare once shopping at Chinook.. This was before all the renos that took place in the mall, it was a much smaller place back then & a scare of a lifetime. We had our 3Y old daughter with us & she is always by our side, within eye site always, even holding her hand except for when the wife asked me what I thought of a pair of shoes she liked, I took once quick glance of these things (you know how guys nod, yep looks good) turn back to my daughter...gone! This was on the main floor, we ran around to every little shop asking clerks if they had seen her & nothing, quite a nervous wreck by then, I decided to take the escalator up to the food fair & there she was roaming around by her lonesome.. Man, it took literally 2 seconds before she vanished..

[Spinalguy]

There are no more weirdos now that when you were a kid Pat.
There is 1000% increase in media coverage though that makes it seem we are in an unsafe world.
End result is we overprotect the children...

Cool jeep story

[w squared]

There are no more weirdos now that when you were a kid Pat.
There is 1000% increase in media coverage though that makes it seem we are in an unsafe world.
End result is we overprotect the children...

Cool jeep story

Can we please get this tatooed onto the forhead of every TV correspondent in the Western world?

Not so that they'll read it in the mirror in the morning - they're beyond saving...just so that when people are being programmed to be fearful, they are simultaneously recieving a reality check.

[TJ54]

There are no more weirdos now that when you were a kid Pat.
There is 1000% increase in media coverage though that makes it seem we are in an unsafe world.
End result is we overprotect the children...

Cool jeep story

even though we are getting a little off topic, I am going to disagree with tom a little bit on this one. there are more wierdos and freaks now then when I was younger, purely because the city has tripled in size, therefore at least three times as many pedo's in calgary, plus I believe, in my opinion, that these freaks tend to head to the bigger centres where it is easier to blend in to the background.
But I definately agree that the media blows stuff out of all reasonable proportion.   
As to over protecting our kids, there is no doubt we do. But that is the was society is going, better to over protect a little then to go the other way and place them in harms way.  It is not the same world we grew up in.
and yes, of course some people take protecting their kids to extremes, but there have always been parents like that

[LifesGrand]

As for over protecting our children.. Why not?!?!?
I've had this said to us before from other parents, were to protective of our "daughter", well guess what, better safe then sorry..
I care about my child's well being & there are some who just couldn't care less...
I worry, my daughter is a beautiful little creature.. I wouldn't want harm done to her, especially if I can at least try to prevent it from happening to begin with.. Overly protective, oh well...  She is my pride & joy.., undamaged to say the least..

[Evil-Jeep]

Agreed, I will usually be the first to suggest that people are to protective of their kids; however my oldest (who is now 10) was not left anyone other than my own mother while he was young, when I had to put him daycare he went to Mount royal college daycare while I was in class so I could keep him close. On another note my youngest (10 months old) just got his first power wheels jeep, I had originally expected that I would take it along on camping trips for him to ride around in, after seeing the story maybe not....... unless it is lifted enough to get through the dangerous stuff.. j/k!