Toddler critical after an hour in a hot car

04:45 PM PDT on Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Associated Press

MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. - A 2-year-old boy who went to play in the family car lost consciousness from the heat in Maple Valley.

He was in critical condition at Children's Hospital in Seattle. It's not known yet if he'll survive.

Sgt. John Urquhart said the father was baby-sitting four kids Monday afternoon. When he checked on them he discovered the boy had wandered away.

The boy apparently climbed in the closed car and was overcome by the heat, which hovered around 80 degrees. He was found about an hour later, unconscious in his car seat.

The father placed him in a bathtub to cool down before medics arrived.

KING

The boy was found in the sedan.

Police advise parents to keep cars locked at all times, and to keep a closer eye on children.

They said they do not expect to file any charges against the father.

Doctors say nationwide 10 to 20 children die every year after getting trapped in hot cars, a situation that can kill in a matter of minutes.

Dr. Tony Woodward says children get hot faster than adults, with body temperatures quickly rising past 107 degrees.

“The child's at risk after being in the car five or 10 minutes in an enclosed car,” he said. “Even if you're in a car with the windows cracked, that temperature can still get up very high very fast.”