A toddler has tragically died after her father forgot to drop her off at her nursery and she was left for more than two hours in his van. Police say the little girl was exposed to high temperatures because of the soaring heat of 25 degrees.
The tragic incident happened in Brion in the province of A Coruña in the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain. The two-year-old little girl was found inside her father’s van after he forgot to drop her off at daycare before going to work. Her mum raised the alarm after not finding her at daycare when she went to pick her up in the afternoon.
He is said to have started work and completely forgot the child was still in the vehicle. Earlier, he had taken his older child to school but then received a phone call which distracted him from his second drop-off.
Emergency services rushed the toddler, who was in cardiac arrest, to the Bertamiráns Urgent Care Centre (PAC) with medics trying to revive her.
However, she tragically passed away. The cause of death is believed to be serious dehydration and heat stroke. A full investigation is now underway to determine exactly what happened.
The Civil Guard is investigating the incident. Officers from the Santiago Territorial Judicial Police Team have taken charge of the investigation to clarify the circumstances of the tragic event.
Members of the Psychological Intervention Group in Catastrophes and Emergencies (GIPCE) were brought in to offer specialised support to the girl’s family.
The news of the two-year-old girl’s death has shocked all the residents of Brión. The Town Hall has declared two days of official mourning (May 21 and 22) for this tragic event and has called on all residents to gather in the town square tomorrow, Friday, to observe a minute of silence at noon.
