Photo: VCG

A man surnamed Wang, who accidentally locked himself inside his car trunk and was trapped for five hours in nearly 40 C heat, was eventually located by police after he used his phone's voice assistant to call emergency services, with officers narrowing down his location by listening to changes in the volume of their siren, Sichuan Daily reported.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made it out alive today," Wang (pseudonym) said after being rescued, sitting on the ground and tightly holding the police officers' hands with tears in his eyes.

At 5:13 pm on August 18, police at Dafeng district in Yancheng, East China's Jiangsu Province, received an unusual emergency call. The caller said he was trapped inside a vehicle trunk and unable to escape.

Officers immediately kept in contact with Wang by phone while driving to the area where the incident was believed to have occurred. However, they could not determine the vehicle's exact location. Police then activated their sirens along the route and used the changes in the siren's sound heard through the phone to gradually narrow down the search area, eventually locating the vehicle.

When they arrived, officers found that the vehicle was a new energy vehicle and that its battery had completely run out. The trunk was extremely hot and stuffy. Wang, the driver, was trapped halfway between the rear seats and the trunk compartment, unable to move.

Police tried to calm him down while attempting to unlock the vehicle manually. However, the space was too narrow, leaving Wang stuck and making the rescue difficult. After several unsuccessful attempts, officers called firefighters for assistance.

Upon arrival, firefighters used professional equipment to carefully cut through the trunk's metal bodywork. Throughout the rescue operation, police officers stayed beside Wang, continuously talking to him to prevent him from losing consciousness.

After more than an hour, Wang was finally pulled out safely.

Wang had entered the trunk earlier that afternoon while trying to retrieve an item stored deep inside. His foot accidentally pressed the electronic trunk button, causing it to close automatically and lock him inside. His car keys and phone were left on the front seats, beyond his reach.

At the critical moment, he pushed open the passage between the rear seats and the trunk, then used his phone's voice assistant function to make an emergency call to police, successfully alerting police and securing his rescue.

Police reminded the public that car trunks are enclosed spaces with poor ventilation. Staying inside for a prolonged period can lead to oxygen deprivation, dizziness and, in severe cases, life-threatening conditions. People should avoid entering trunks when organizing or retrieving items.

If someone becomes trapped inside a vehicle, police advised staying calm, maintaining steady breathing, seeking help immediately and waiting for rescue.

Global Times