Toddler helps save man locked inside hot car

3-year-old Keith Williams helped save a man locked in a car. Photo Courtesy WVLT.



KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- We've heard plenty of heart-wrenching stories of toddlers being locked inside of hot cars needing to be saved.

But this one is the other way around.

Police and rescue workers are praising a fast-acting 3-year-old who helped saved an East Tennessee man locked in a car in a church parking lot recently, WVLT reports. 

A man, Bob King, was trapped inside of his car while in a parking lot due to a lock switch malfunction. King, who has suffered from strokes and wears a pacemaker, said he was caught inside the car for more than 5 minutes when he saw 3-year-old Keith Williams walk by.

"I hollered at him and he just looked at me kind of funny and I said 'Yeah, I'm locked in here," King told WVLT.

Williams ran to the church pastor and grabbed him by the hand.

"He kept pulling at my hand and I eventually turned around and looked at him and said what's going on and he said 'locked, locked!," the pastor told WVLT.

Williams followed the boy out the car and helped King get out of the hot vehicle.

Now, King says he's thankful he spotted the boy as the car was already getting hot.

"I'd say it probably be another 20 minutes sitting in there if he hadn't notified somebody," King said.