Source : Perth Now news
A toddler is dead after she was allegedly left locked inside a car by her babysitter at a beach parking lot in the US during the northern hemisphere’s record-breaking summer.
The two-year-old died at Hallandale Beach on Sunday afternoon, local time, according to The Sun, sparking an urgent warning from local police.
First responders reached the unresponsive two-year-old at 1.35pm, local time, after receiving reports that a child was locked inside a vehicle.
Despite being rushed to hospital, the toddler never regained consciousness.
Weather services had the temperature at Hallande at that time between 31C to 32C, but high humidity in the area pushed the likely heat outside the vehicle to around 38C.
The Hallandale Beach Police Department said the child was in the care of a babysitter at the time of the incident and an investigation has been launched.
“This is a heartbreaking loss, and our thoughts are with the child’s family, and everyone affected by this tragedy,” the police service said in a statement.
“We also want to use this moment to remind every parent, guardian, and caregiver in our community: always check the back seat before locking your vehicle and walking away.
“Temperatures inside a parked car can climb to dangerous levels within minutes, even on days that don’t feel especially hot. One last look before you shut the door can save a child’s life.”
The tragedy comes just a week after a similar incident in the same state where an 18-month-old was accidentally left inside a car in similar Florida temperatures.
It’s reported that the dad had mistakenly thought he had dropped the child off at daycare, only to make the devastating find inside the vehicle hours later.
While Australia’s death rate from children being locked in cars has dropped dramatically, in America up to 38 children die in hot vehicles every year.
