Edmonton police said a mother had been charged after her baby had to be rescued from a hot car Thursday evening, and the incident is serving as a reminder to parents to not leave children alone in their cars.
Police were called to a parking lot in the area of 52 Street and 167 Avenue at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, after a baby was reported to be inside a vehicle.
Crews managed to get the 8-month-old girl out of the vehicle, and she was sent to hospital as a precaution. Police said a window had been left slightly open for about 10 minutes before police were called – and police said the infant was not very responsive.
It’s believed the baby was inside the car for about 45 minutes – while the temperature outside was about 26 degrees Celsius.
Officers on the scene found the mother nearby, she told investigators she had brought her baby with her to meet with a friend for coffee, and said she forgot the baby in the vehicle.
Police arrested the 22-year-old mother, and said she had been charged with causing a child to be in need of intervention.
EPS is using the incident as a reminder for Edmontonians to not leave children or pets inside a vehicle in the hot weather.
“A child’s safety is top priority, regardless of the weather or inconvenience,” Sgt. Lael Sauter with the EPS Child at Risk Response Team said in a statement. “Leaving a child alone in a vehicle is dangerous and can cause them medical distress, at its worst, be a cause of death. This incident could have had a tragic ending.”
EMS Education Officer Alex Campbell said babies can’t tolerate high temperatures.
“Babies don’t do very well with heat because they have a high amount of body surface area,” Campbell said.
Police said in the last week or so, officers had responded to four reports of children left unattended in vehicles.
EPS asked anyone who sees a child in a vehicle, and the child is in distress, to call 911 right away – then to stay with the child until police arrive.
With files from Angela Jung
