A young mum and her baby were trapped overnight in her car when her phone battery died and she ran out of fuel.
The teenage mother got lost on country roads on her way home from a Christmas shopping trip, and ended up spending a freezing cold night in a field.
She had been shopping with her one-year-old son in New Ross, Co Wexford, where she was last seen at Molloy’s SuperValu on Monday, December 2.
At 6.30pm, relatives contacted gardaí in New Ross saying she had not returned home.
A garda spokesman said temperatures had fallen to -4C so there were serious concerns for the wellbeing of the pair, from Waterford.
It is understood the mum had been advised to travel home through backroads after leaving New Ross but lost her way in South Kilkenny.
Her phone had died and she ran out of diesel.
The car came to a stop and was parked in a field, understood to be in the Glenmore area.
An urgent garda missing persons appeal was issued for the woman and child, who were travelling towards Knockbrack in Mullinavat.
Garda from Mooncoin in Kilkenny discovered the car the following morning and paramedics attended the scene, assessing the woman and boy, who were found to be in good health.
A Garda spokesman said: “It was just an unfortunate event which could have had a different outcome.”
