An 11-month-old baby dies in hot car after uncle 'forgets about him'

An 11-month-old baby dies in hot car after uncle ‘forgets about him’ Photos: Stock/Google Map

An 11-month-old baby dies in hot car after uncle ‘forgets about him’

An 11-month-old baby died in a hot car after his uncle ‘forgot about him’ in Stilfontein. The baby was left for more than six hours.

An 11-month-old baby dies in hot car after uncle 'forgets about him'

An 11-month-old baby dies in hot car after uncle ‘forgets about him’ Photos: Stock/Google Map

Police are investigating the death of an 11-month-old baby in a hot car after his uncle ‘forgot about him’ in Stilfontein.

AN 11-MONTH-OLD BABY WAS LEFT FOR OVER SIX HOURS IN A HOT CAR

According to a report by the Klerksdorp Rekord, the family member was supposed to drop the baby off at the nursery school after 07:00 on Friday morning, 24 February, but after dropping the two older children off at the primary school, he drove back home. He continued his day, not knowing that the little one was fast asleep in the car’s back seat.

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The baby boy was probably trapped in the hot car for over six hours.

THE LIFELESS BABY BOY WAS ONLY DISCOVERED LATER

Police spokesperson Sergeant Amogelang Malwetse, police spokesperson the 28-year-old man, a cousin of the baby’s mother, discovered the lifeless baby when he wanted to drive to pick up the children from school at 13.30 on Friday afternoon.

The car was parked at the house on Stilfontein.

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“The children’s mother sent him again to collect the children from school when he discovered the baby in the back of the car. The child’s parents rushed him to Wilmed Park, where the baby was pronounced dead on arrival.”

Sergeant Amogelang Malwetse

A CASE OF CHILD NEGLECT IS BEING INVESTIGATED

The hospital called the police, and a judicial investigation and a case of child neglect were filed.

“An autopsy will be done to determine the cause of death,” Sergeant Malwetse said.

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DEVASTATED PARENTS WERE BUSY WITH THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

The parents of the baby boy were busy with funeral arrangements.

The father told Klerksdorp Rekord that he would speak to the media later because he is planning a campaign to prevent similar incidents.

According to KidsandCars, the inside of a car heats up very quickly, and even if the windows are cracked, the temperature can reach 125 degrees in just minutes. The nonprofit said 80% of the increase in the vehicle’s inside temperature happens in the first 10 minutes.

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TEMPERATURES INSIDE A CAR CAN REACH TO 125 DEGREES IN JUST MINUTES

KidsandCars offers the following heatstroke facts and safety tips:

Make sure your child is never left alone in a car:

  • Place the child’s diaper bag or item in the front passenger seat as a visual cue that the child is with you.
  • Make it a habit of opening the back door every time you park to ensure no one is left behind. To enforce this habit, place an item that you can’t start your day without in the back seat (employee badge, laptop, phone, handbag, etc.)
  • Ask your childcare provider to call you right away if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.
  • Clearly announce and confirm who is getting each child out of the vehicle. Miscommunication can lead to thinking someone else removed the child.

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Make sure children cannot get into a parked car:

  • Keep vehicles locked at all times, especially in the garage or driveway. Ask neighbors and visitors to do the same.
  • Never leave car keys within reach of children.
  • Use childproofing knob covers and door alarms to prevent children from exiting your home unnoticed.
  • Teach children to honk the horn or turn on hazard lights if they become stuck inside a car.
  • If a child is missing, immediately check the inside, floorboards and trunk of all vehicles in the area carefully, even if they’re locked.