A group of inmates carrying out work duty in Florida became unlikely heroes after helping rescue a one-year-old girl who had accidentally been locked inside a car outside a judicial centre.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

The incident unfolded back in 2019 at the West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey, where deputies were called after the child’s father mistakenly left his keys inside the family’s vehicle before shutting the door, ABC News reports.

The little girl, named Dallas, had already been strapped into her car seat in the back of the Chevy Tahoe when the mistake happened. Her mother, Shadow Lantry, said her husband had placed the keys on the front seat before closing the door, only to realise moments later that both the keys and their daughter were now locked inside.

Pasco County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kevin Doll said at the time that deputies received a report of an infant trapped in a sport utility vehicle on Thursday and found the child appearing comfortable in her seat when they arrived.

The parents told authorities they could not afford to call a locksmith, and after several minutes of trying to work out what to do, Dallas’ father said he was prepared to smash the driver’s-side window.

Before that became necessary, help arrived from an unexpected source.

A Pasco Sheriff’s Office inmate supervisor was nearby with a group of inmates who had been working on parking lot medians outside the judicial centre. The men were described as low-risk, non-violent offenders, often referred to as trusties, and they offered to help get the child out.

An onlooker provided a wire coat hanger, while the father and several of the inmates worked together to prise the front door open just enough for one of the men to reach the lock.

Richard Stanger, from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, explained how the improvised rescue came together.

“[We were] surprised when somebody had a wire coat hanger, [and] we were able to get the door open enough to get it in there, unlock the door,” he told Tampa ABC affiliate WFTS.

Footage filmed at the scene shows the group carefully working around the vehicle as deputies monitor the situation. At one point, officers can be heard advising the father to “pop his head in the window” so Dallas would not become frightened by all the “strange faces” surrounding the car.

The child remained in her seat as the men continued manoeuvring the hanger through the narrow opening. One inmate then managed to use it to press the electronic door lock, allowing the vehicle to be opened.

The entire rescue took around two minutes.

As soon as the lock released, the car alarm sounded and the crowd gathered around the vehicle erupted in celebration.

“Thank God,” Lantry said after the door was finally opened.

She also expressed her gratitude directly to the men who had stepped in to help.

“Thank God for the criminals in the world. I respect all y’all,” she said in the video.

Dallas’ parents immediately checked on their daughter before thanking the deputies, inmates and everyone else involved in the rescue.

The footage was later shared by Lantry on Facebook, where it was viewed and reposted thousands of times as people praised the inmates for acting quickly.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said the men involved were offenders who had made mistakes but were trying to move forward with their lives.

“A lot of them, like these individuals, they know they made bad mistakes, bad choices, but they want to do the right thing in life,” he said.

The weather also helped prevent the situation from becoming more dangerous. Temperatures in the Tampa area were relatively mild that day, with a reported high of 72 degrees, while Dallas appeared calm throughout the rescue.

No windows needed to be broken, no locksmith was required and the child was freed unharmed, all thanks to a bent coat hanger, a narrow gap in the door and a group of men willing to put their skills to better use.

Featured image credit: Facebook/Shadow Lantry (screenshots)