As much as parents try to ensure the safety of their children, unexpected incidents can sometimes happen. It brings about heartbreak and a reminder that they have to live with for the rest of their lives.
A father in Malaysia had to learn it the hard way after his 4-year-old daughter died due to negligence.
4-year-old Dies Due to Father’s Negligence
The father who is said to be in his 30’s, reportedly left the child in his vehicle parked in the Sungai Petani area of Kedah.
Kuala Muda District Police Chief Adzli Abu Shah said that the 4-year-old was believed to have been left in the locked car—with all the windows shut—for almost 10 hours.
A 4-year-old dies in the backseat of her father’s car and was found unconscious 10 hours later. | Image for illustration purposes only via iStock
She eventually succumbed to death from suffocation.
Prior to the incident, the girl’s father who worked as a lorry driver had sent his older child to school at about 7.30am before heading to his workplace, according to Adzli in a statement.
The father was also supposed to drive the younger 4-year-old child to her grandmother’s house in Kampung Bukit, Sungai Pasir.
However, the father had forgotten that his daughter was in the car as she was sound asleep in the backseat said Adzli.
After arriving at his workplace, he locked his car and proceeded to drive a lorry out to various areas.
While the lorry driver later returned to office at 4.30pm to complete some work, he only returned to his car at about 6.20pm after the day’s work.
It was only then that he realised what he had done.
Child Was Unconscious When Found
According to Adzli, the 4-year-old was unresponsive when her father retrieved her from the car.
He immediately called emergency services to inform them about the incident. Unfortunately, it was too late and the young child was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her body was taken to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar for a post-mortem, said Adzli.
He also added that the case was being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act.
Following the incident, the girl’s father was reportedly criticised by netizens.
Heartbreaking as the incident already is, the family expressed their hopes that the public “would stop accusing the father because he has been condemned from the heart”.
The father too is said to be “very guilty and sad” from the incident.
They also described the young child who had left the world a little too soon as a “kind child who was usually close to her father”.
Importance of Staying Alert
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, on average, every 10 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle. And in more than half of these deaths, the caregiver forgot that the child was in the car.
Leaving children alone in a car can lead to serious injury or death from heatstroke—even in cooler temperatures.
On average, every 10 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle. | Image source: iStock
Heatstroke (or hyperthermia) accounts for the biggest danger that could lead to brain damage as well as in other body organs.
The temperature within a car can increase 19 degrees in just 10 minutes, and young children are particularly at risk as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s.
As busy and fatigued as parents are which could affect their ability to stay alert at times, this incident is yet another reminder that one should take no chances when it comes to young children.
While leaving a peacefully sleeping child temporarily in the car while running a quick errand sounds ideal, perhaps it is time to reconsider again.
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