A 16-month-old boy has died after being left in a car for a number of hours in Burnaby.
Police said they responded to reports of a young child unconscious in a vehicle in the area of Inman Avenue and Kingsway, near Swangard Stadium, at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday.
Burnaby RCMP have confirmed that a 16-month-old child has died after being left in a hot car for "a number of hours" on Thursday. According to weather reports, Burnaby reached 21 C. @BlackPressMedia
— Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani) May 10, 2019
BC Emergency Health Services said they’d received a call at 5:22 p.m., and took roughly four minutes to arrive on scene.
The boy was taken to hospital, but he did not survive.
During a news conference Friday, Burnaby RCMP Chief Supt. Deanne Burleigh warned parents leaving their cars to make sure their children aren’t left inside on hot days.
“Make sure you’ve delivered them where they need to be delivered,” she said. “We’re in a heat waveright now. Please don’t leave your children unattended in a car at any age.”
Police said the child’s father was nearby and both parents are cooperating with the investigation. Family has been given access to victim services. No arrests have been made.
Temperatures reached 21 C in Burnaby that day.
READ MORE: Warm weather smashes records along B.C.’s south coast, with more sun to come
“We understand that there are going to be many questions around this incident, however we would ask that the public understand we are still in the early stages of our investigation,” Burleigh said.
“We are still interviewing witnesses and are not at a point where any further information can be released.”
Burleigh said the main message police wanted to get out was that such deaths can be prevented.
“It’s about taking that extra time. It’s tragic. It’s horrible. There are no words to describe what anybody would be feeling rightnow. Please don’t leave your child unattended in a car.”
With files from The Canadian Press
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