999 call of the quick-thinking five-year-old alerting police after mum gets trapped in Southmead
A QUICK-thinking five-year-old has been praised for alerting police after his mum and sister got trapped in a bedroom.
Rachel Clarke was in the room with her seven-year-old daughter Lauren who shut the door, trapping the couple in the room at their home in Lowther Road, Southmead.
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Avon and Somerset Police
But Jacob, who was with his two-year-old brother James, didn't panic and called the police on 999 and asked them to help.
An officer from Southmead police station arrived at the house shortly afterwards and was able to release Jacob's Mum and sister.
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Rachel said: “I am so proud of Jacob. It is the first time that he had used the phone. I was in a mad panic.
“We had been doing some work on the door and the bar was not attached to the handle. My daughter shut the door accidentally and we couldn't get out.
“The whole incident was made worse because I had lost my voice and was struggling to give Jacob instructions on what to do and it was not easy shouting the instructions to him through the closed door.
“Initially I was going to ask him to go round to the neighbour's house and get help but he had his two-year-old brother with him, so I could not risk them going outside on their own.”
Southmead neighbourhood inspector Mark Runacres said: “When Jacob realised Mum could not get out of the bedroom he called 999 and asked for the police's help.
“The call handler was able to find out what had happened and reassure Jacob, while sending a police car to the house to help release his mum and sister.”




9 Comments
by grumps2011
Thursday, February 14 2013, 7:06PM
“Lone_Ranger seriously??
bokbok clearly you do not have children do you!!
seriosuly do you guys have nothing better to do with your time..
the child did great and also just shows what a great job the 999 staff do.... just get real guys and stop spending your time nit picking!!!”
by Lone_Ranger
Thursday, February 14 2013, 6:47PM
“The headline and the report appear to be at loggerheads: The headline suggests it was the child who decided to make the 999 call yet the article states that he was given instructions by his mother.
I suppose "Five year-old does what he's told" doesn't turn a(nother) non-story into something it isn't.”
by bokbok
Thursday, February 14 2013, 5:24PM
“999 because someone is stuck in the bedroom? Good lord next thing people will be ringing 999 if a cat gets stuck up a tree.”
by antinumpty21
Thursday, February 14 2013, 3:35PM
“At the end it sounded like they were booting the door in!!”
by grammariscool
Thursday, February 14 2013, 2:26PM
“Who is Luke ?”
by grammariscool
Thursday, February 14 2013, 2:20PM
“Who is Luke ?”
by polyphase
Thursday, February 14 2013, 12:51PM
“Quick thinking five-year-old alerts police after mum gets trapped in Southmead
Great headline.”
by whippetprince
Thursday, February 14 2013, 12:13PM
“It was a life and death situation for sure, getting locked a bedroom could be fatal - someone could starve to death or worse.
Quite incredible that the mother managed to 'lose her voice' at the same time...
A close shave indeed, I will sleep soundly in my bed tonight knowing all is well.”
by Stephen_L
Thursday, February 14 2013, 11:38AM
“Next time you do DIY work on a door and remove the handle, either also remove the lock or keep one handle and the bar in the room.
However, well done Jacob.
PS. I do hope he doesn't get into trouble for not dialling ... whatever the other number is.”