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A one-year-old boy tragically died due to his father leaving him in the car after forgetting to drop him at daycare, per police reports.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday, November 6, at the Bayfront Child Development Center in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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The heartbreaking discovery was made later that evening when the father arrived at Bayfront Child Development Center in St. Petersburg to pick up his son.
After speaking with staff, he realized that he had never brought the child to daycare that morning, according to reports from PEOPLE.
“At that point, then the father kind of realized what was going on and went back out to the car,” said Yolanda Fernandez, a spokesperson for the St. Petersburg Police Department, speaking to FOX 13.
The child was discovered unresponsive in the car, where temperatures had soared to a high of 91°F that day.
Emergency personnel responded immediately to the daycare’s parking lot, attempting CPR, but tragically, the toddler was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators suspect the child was in the vehicle for the entire day.
According to Fernandez, the father had altered his regular routine by bringing his son along to an appointment earlier that morning.
Afterward, he intended to drop the boy off at daycare before heading back home, where he works.
Lindsay Judah, division chief with St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, highlighted the severe risks of leaving children in closed vehicles, even briefly.
“In just ten minutes, it can become 20 degrees hotter inside a vehicle with the doors closed,” Judah told FOX 13.
The young boy had been exposed to these dangerously high temperatures for hours.
An autopsy is being conducted, and police are investigating the circumstances to determine whether any charges will be filed, according to ABC Action News and ABC 7 Sarasota.
Judah noted that this was the first fatal hot-car incident the local fire rescue team had seen since 2017.
In hopes of preventing further tragedies, she urged parents and caregivers to set reminders whenever a child is in the car.
Suggested reminders include placing a child’s shoe or toy in the front seat as a visual cue to check the backseat.
“That is our action that we're asking our parents and caregivers to take,” Judah said to FOX 13. “Take action.”
Dr. Ben Hoffman, Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention, previously offered advice to PEOPLE about how parents can avoid leaving their children in hot cars.
Dr. Hoffman emphasized the importance of families staying mindful and present to prevent such tragedies. Here is a checklist for parents and caregivers to help keep children safe:
Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this tragedy.
