A newborn baby abandoned by its teenage mother in a plastic bag was rescued after a bin man heard faint cries as he was about to throw the bag into his disposal truck.
Heart-wrenching footage caught by passers-by shows the barely conscious infant inside a bag hanging from a fence in Lapu-Lapu City in the Philippines.
Unsure what to do, the onlookers gathered around the tiny baby who can be seen slowly opening his eyes and putting his hand to his mouth.
A bin man was about to pick up the package and dump it in his disposal truck when he heard faint cries coming from inside on Monday morning in Lapu-Lapu City in the Philippines
Onlookers, who were first unsure whether the baby boy was alive or dead, tried to keep him cool and called paramedics
One person tries to keep him cool by fanning the air around him.
Paramedics arrived shortly after 10am on Monday morning before rushing the infant to Lapu-Lapu District Hospital in an ambulance.
Also found inside the bag were a female school uniform blouse and a pair of bloodied short pants.
The police are trying to trace the mother, who is believed to be a teenager aged between 12 and 16. A bloodied school uniform was also found in the bag, which appears to be a student’s rucksack
The uniform is worn by public schools in grades 7-10 in the area. That would likely make the mother between 12 and 16 years old.
Onlooker Rheene Lee said: ‘At first we did not know whether the baby is alive or dead. We did not know what to do, then someone suggested to call an ambulance.
‘The baby is very fortunate that he was found, because the trash collector was about to put the bag in the truck.
The two-day old baby boy pictured recovering in Lapu-Lapu District Hopsital yesterday after he was found abandoned on Monday
‘I hope now that the boy will be taken care of.
‘But I also feel sorry for the mother. The school uniform was that of a teenager and she will need help.’
The local barangay council and the police are investigating the incident.
The baby boy’s name has not yet been decided, but a nurse looking after him said several people have offered to adopt him
‘Angels are watching over him’: The baby was lucky to be found, as the bin man was about to throw the bag into the rubbish truck. A search is underway to find and help the mother
Emily Ng, a nurse at the hospital where the boy is being cared for, said several people have also come forward wanting to adopt him.
She said: ‘We do not have a name for the boy yet. But many people have heard his story and have made inquiries about adopting him.
‘He was very weak when he arrived but he is strong now. There is a smile on his face.
‘He does not know about his sad start to life, but I am sure that he will be blessed with a good future with wealthy parents who love and protect him.
‘Angels are watching over him.’