Adelaide Woman's Desperate Attempt to Save Baby from Car Tragedy
An Adelaide woman who tried in vain to save a baby trapped inside a car has broken her silence about the tragic night that will haunt her forever. Ebony Baxter administered CPR to nine-month-old Kohen after his distraught father ran down the street in Elizabeth Downs begging for help on Wednesday night.
Desperate Screams for Help
Baxter was inside her home when she heard screams echoing through the neighborhood. "Does anyone know CPR? Help, help help," the father could be heard screaming desperately. The father had just discovered his baby boy unresponsive in the family car and was running down the road with little Kohen in his arms, pleading for immediate assistance.
"He went to go and kiss the little boy goodnight and that's when he realised he wasn't in bed," Baxter explained about the father's heartbreaking discovery. The mother of the child has now been charged with criminal neglect in connection with the incident.
CPR Training Put to the Test
Baxter, who has infant CPR training, wasted no time responding to the emergency situation. "As I was doing it, just come on, like, I just wanted to see him take a breath," she recalled about her desperate efforts to revive the baby. Despite her training and quick response, she felt only a weak pulse that wasn't enough to save the infant's life.
"You know, his face, I can't stop seeing the way he looked," Baxter said, describing the traumatic memory that continues to haunt her. The emotional impact of the event remains fresh in her mind as she processes what happened that night.
Mother Charged with Criminal Neglect
Detectives have arrested Kohen's 31-year-old mother, Crystal Manneken, and charged her with criminal neglect. Police are still investigating how long the baby was left in the car and have seized the family van as part of their investigation to determine exactly what happened.
Liberal leader Ashton Hurn expressed his emotional response to the tragedy, stating, "It's hard not to get emotional about it, particularly given I've got a little 21-month-old, but I think it should be a wake-up call to the system." His comments highlight the broader implications of such incidents for child safety protocols.
Community Impact and Lasting Trauma
The tragedy will linger in the minds of everyone who tried in vain to save Kohen, creating lasting trauma for the community members involved. Baxter expressed her lingering regret, saying, "I wish that we could have, anyone else, like anyone there, we could have done more to help him."
The Elizabeth Downs community has been deeply affected by this heartbreaking incident, which serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of child safety and supervision. As the investigation continues, many questions remain about the circumstances that led to this preventable tragedy.
