Three-year-old boy found dead after being left in sweltering car

A three-year-old boy has been found dead after being left in a car in 34 degree heat for hours. Police in Sydney, Australia, said the boy had been left in the car “throughout the day” before a man known to the child raised the alarm.

Paramedics in New South Wales found the three-year-old unresponsive and pronounced him dead at the scene.

A police spokesperson said: “Officers from Campbelltown City Police Area Command were told the child had been in the vehicle throughout the day.

“The vehicle’s owner, a man known to the child, raised the alarm when he returned to the car.

“A crime scene has been established and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is underway.

“The man has been taken to Campbelltown Police Station where he is assisting police.”

Sydney has seen extremely hot weather in recent days, with maximum temperatures well above 30 degrees.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s data said that the area close to the scene of the tragedy recorded highs of 33.9 degrees.

Kidsafe, a children’s safety charity, says that there are more than 5,000 instances of children needing rescuing from hot cars in Australia every year.

Their website says: “Leaving children unattended in a car – even for a short period of time – can be fatal.

“Children are particularly at risk because they can lose fluid quickly, become dehydrated and suffer from heatstroke.”

Last November, a similar incident occurred in Japan when a toddler died of heatstroke after being left in a minivan.

The toddler died of heatstroke after her father forgot to drop her off at school.

The dad, who remained unnamed, told police in Osaka that he left his home at 8am that morning.

When he went to pick his children up, he was informed that she had not attended school, only realising his mistake when it was too late.