Dad's Desperate Act after Son Found Locked in Hot Car

A heartbroken father is without his son, despite attempting to save him after being locked in a hot car yesterday.

The three-year-old was found unconscious in his father’s car, parked outside a shop on Railway Pde at Glenfield, NSW. It is reported the little boy had been locked in the car all day with temperatures around 30C for much of Thursday afternoon, according to forecaster Weatherzone.

What happened?

According to media reports, the little boy was left in the back of his father’s car in the morning. His dad had dropped his older brother off at school and reportedly forgot to drop his younger son at daycare. It’s been reported the three-year-old may have been asleep.

The father parked the car on the side of the road in front of several shops and walked back to his home around the corner to work.

He then returned to his car at 3pm, where he saw his son in the back.

Punched a hole in the window

The father then punched a hole in the back window to try and get his son, smashing the window glass of the Toyota Coyola.

He brought his son to a nearby bottle shop where members of the public attempted to resuscitate him and called emergency services.

NSW Ambulances arrived shortly after. They pronounced the little boy died at the scene.

The father, clearly distraught was later seen sitting near the scene in tears with blood running down his hand. The father was taken to Campbelltown Police Station and questioned by police over the incident, but has since been released without charge, a police spokesman told NCA NewsWire.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to anyone affected by this terrible tragedy.

5000 children a year

Losing a child is by far the worst thing that can happen to a parent. Sadly, it happens and hot car deaths are on the rise.

Since the hot car tragedy, Every year in Australia, over 5000 children are rescued after being left unattended in a car, according to Kidsafe Australia. Over the past five years, 10 children are reported to have died after being left in hot cars in Australia, with half of the deaths taking place in Queensland, Kidsafe Australia says.

It’s so easy to ask “How does this even happen.” But it does. No one should judge why or how. Instead, we should be looking at ways to prevent this from happening.

Often it only takes one moment of absentmindedness to forget.

Here are some ways to keep your children safe in cars.

Look into a Backseat Reminder

These go by different names and can be bought via Amazon. Another good choice is Clever Elly which is sold thought Kidsafe Victoria.

It uses the car’s existing door sensors to trigger a reminder that someone or something needs to be removed from the back seat. Car companies are looking into making rear-seat reminders a standard in all makes and models but we’re not quite there yet. In America, it’s projected that most new cars will have this feature by 2025 though.

Get in the habit of putting your purse or something valuable in the backseat

This can ensure you always do a double-take when getting out of the hot car.

Never let your child play with your keys

This ensures they don’t accidentally lock themselves in the car.

Always keep the car locked if you’re not using it

Kids are curious creatures and a car could prove to be the perfect hiding spot. We’ve shared a story in the past of a little boy who hid in the back seat of his mum’s car. He was found unconscious six hours later.

Finally, aim to be on time (or early even)

This reduces the panic that sets in when you arrive at your destination and are attempting to get out of the car at record pace, absentmindedly forgetting to check the precious cargo in the back. Again, you may think it will never happen to you but when the business of life gets to you or you’re sleep-deprived or your mind is elsewhere, it can. It does.