A toddler passed away after his father forgot to drop him off at daycare, unknowingly leaving him in the car, according to police.
The one-year-old was in his dad's car for the entirety of Wednesday (6 November), and was sadly pronounced dead later.
It has been reported by several US news outlets, including ABC Action News, that the father had made the horrific discovery when he went to pick his son up from Bayfront Child Development Center, St. Petersburg, after work.
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After speaking to employees at the day care after 5pm, he realised that he never dropped his son off, as per PEOPLE.
Emergency services were called to the car park, where they attempted to carry out CPR to save the child, but he was pronounced dead on the scene, report FOX 13.
Investigators believe that the toddler was in the vehicle all day.
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Yolanda Fernandez, a spokesperson for the St. Petersburg Police Department, further told the outlet that after speaking to staff: "The father kind of realised what was going on and went back out to the car."
She continued to say that the father forgot to drop his son off as he was brought along to an appointment, which was not part of their usual routine.
He was meant to drop the boy at Bayfront before going back home, where he works, as division chief of St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, Linsay Judah, told FOX 13 that it takes just ten minutes for the inside of a vehicle to become '20 degrees (6.66°C) hotter', while the doors are shut.
An autopsy is underway, with police searching for the exact details behind the one-year-old's death to determine if any charges will be filed, ABC Action News reports.
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Judah further revealed to FOX 13 that the last time the local Fire Rescue saw a similar death was back in 2017, as she has urged drivers to 'create reminders' when a child is in the car.
She said that it should be specific, so that they are prompted 'to look back in the back seat', before getting out.
The fire division chief said that putting the 'child's shoe', or a soft toy in the front seat could make all the difference in stopping anything like this from happening again.
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She concluded: “That is our action that we're asking our parents and caregivers to take. Take action.”
LADbible has reached out to St. Petersburg Police Department for comment.
Joshua Nair