Northern Ireland Fire Service come to aid of non-verbal child trapped in his mother’s car

Shauna Fitzsimmons’ son Mason ended up trapped in her car at Limefield Rise in Craigavon yesterday – a stressful enough situation for anyone, even more so for the young man who is non-verbal.

A lady who was passing contacted the emergency services and soon the NI Fire and Rescue Service were at the scene in the shape of the Red Watch team from Lurgan Fire Station.

Shauna said: “I can’t thank the kindness of strangers or the fire service enough. My keyless car malfunctioned and locked wee Mason along with my keys and phone in the car.

“A kind lady stopped and rang for help as she saw I was so distressed and wee Mason.

“The fireman spoke and settled Mason using Makaton.

“They got Mason out and brought him to the fire engine and dressed him up as a firefighter.

“They spent time with Mason and made sure he was okay and myself.

“These men from Lurgan fire station went above and beyond and I am so very grateful.”

The firefighter who communicated with Mason using Makaton was Watch Commander Dumigan while the member of the fire service who allowed him to try on his uniform was Nicky Toal.

It proved to be a busy day for the Lurgan firefighters.

One of the team commented: “After we rescued Mason from his mum’s car we then dismantled a play park swing in Clonmeen to rescue a girl who’d got herself stuck in it, then we found a missing vulnerable teenager on the Tandragee Road who we’d been looking for at the request of his mother.

“You get days like that, there’s a lot more to the job that putting out fires.”