A baby in the US has died in a hot car outside a hospital after her foster mother forgot she was there and went inside to work.
The baby, aged just over one, was left in the vehicle outside Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington, with police saying the temperature that day was between 70°F (21.1°C) and 75°F (23.8°C).
The temperature inside the car at around 6.15pm was north of 100°F (37C°).
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The Puyallup Police Department said ‘life-saving measures’ were attempted, but the baby sadly died.
Capt. Don Bourbon, of the Puyallup Police Department, said the baby’s foster mother had forgotten about the child when she went inside for work.
"She arrived at work, went to work, came out and found the baby in the backseat," he said, adding: "This is a very tragic incident and our hearts go out to the family that is involved in this.”
The foster mother and her partner had another child they were fostering, who has been taken back into custody of Child Protective Services, according to KOMO News.
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Bourbon said the woman – who is said to be a social worker at the hospital - was ‘very cooperative and very distraught’.
In a statement to People, Good Samaritan Hospital said: “A tragic incident took place at the Good Samaritan campus Wednesday involving an employee and their child.
“This incident also impacted a number of our other team members. MultiCare has offered a number of paths for support for our employees. We extend our condolences to everyone involved.”
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Police say the investigation is still ongoing, and that it will be down to Pierce County Prosecutor's Office to decide whether or not to file charges once it is complete.
"We all are hectic in our lives," Bourbon continued.
"We all have a lot going on. And this unfortunate situation is that, hopefully it reminds us to take a step back and slow down and just make sure that we are taking care of our families and taking care of each other."
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Earlier this month, the Seattle Fire Department urged people to ‘think twice’ before leaving a child or pet in a hot car.
It said: “Leaving a small child or pet in a car alone is never a good idea. It’s especially dangerous on sunny days.
“It doesn’t have to be a hot day for the temperature inside of a car to reach high enough temperatures to cause heat stroke.
“Heat stroke can cause serious damage to the brain and other organs.”
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The fire department said a car can heat up 19 degrees in just 10 minutes, warning that ‘cracking a window doesn’t help’.
“Young children are particularly at risk, as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s,” it added.
Tyla has contacted MultiCare for further comment.
Topics: US News
Jess Hardiman