A three-year-old boy has been found dead in a sweltering vehicle during an intense heatwave gripping France, where temperatures soared to 44°C. The child was discovered by his parents on Wednesday evening (June 24) in Saint-Gratien, Val-d'Oise, with emergency services contacted at approximately 7pm.
Parents Believed Boy Was Napping
The child was found in cardiac arrest inside the family car after having informed his parents he intended to take a nap in his bedroom. According to French newspaper Le Parisien, the boy had expressed his wish to rest and was instructed to go to his bedroom to sleep. It appears both parents believed he had gone to his room before they desperately realised he was missing. Approximately 45 minutes later, he was discovered in the scorching vehicle.
His mother's anguished scream upon finding him reportedly prompted a passing bus driver to halt his vehicle and rush to assist, attempting to revive the boy through CPR. He persisted with his efforts until paramedics arrived. Authorities are currently investigating how and why the boy ended up in the car, with the circumstances remaining unclear.
Similar Tragedy Days Earlier
This heartbreaking incident occurred mere days after two children, aged two and four, were similarly found deceased in another region of France. The two youngsters were found dead in a hot vehicle after their mother allegedly "forgot" about them. The children were found in the family car, which had been left in the garage of a detached property in the Bois de l'Ubac district of Carpentras, France.
Emergency services attempted to revive them, but tragically both youngsters died. A manslaughter inquiry has now been opened. The Carpentras prosecutor's office released a statement indicating that preliminary evidence suggests "the hypothesis of a death resulting from exposure to excessive heat" appears "plausible subject to the results of further analyses currently underway".
Conflicting Accounts in Prior Case
Initial inquiries have explored the theory that the children climbed into the vehicle without their 33-year-old mother being aware and were then unable to escape. A police source told Le Parisien that the mother stated she had "forgotten her children" while she was out shopping. According to a source close to the inquiry speaking to AFP, she has given multiple conflicting versions of events.
