Frantic rescue effort saves doll, not baby

Frantic police smashed a window to rescue a seemingly unconscious baby from a locked vehicle in Queensland, Australia, last week only to find it was an extremely lifelike doll.

The embarrassing mistake, made in regional Gympie, is not an isolated incident and passionate creator of the "reborn" baby dolls Vynette Cernik knows just how easily they can be mistaken for the real thing.

Ms Cernik said she felt sorry for the Gympie police and the members of the public distressed by the situation and suggested owners should put warning cards on the dolls.



Gympie Sen-Sgt Phil Edwards said last week's incident had been frightening for both police and members of the public who genuinely believed a baby was dying.

"It was incredibly lifelike," he said, agreeing that warning cards on the dolls might be a good idea.

He said when the car's owners were eventually found they were "nonplussed and apologetic".