-Eldica Stuart-

Cousins!

An unfortunate tragedy occurred this past week within the Harris County area of Texas as a five-year-old child has lost their life, after being left in a hot car for several hours.

According to Harris County police authorities, A family member who was supposed to be watching him, left him in the car on Monday June 20th while preparing for a birthday celebration for his sibling.

The boy, who’s name has not been mentioned, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was allegedly in the car for two to three hours; it is unclear of the exact hours.

According to a post on Sheriff Ed Gonzalez’s Facebook, the boy’s mother went home with an 8-year-old child and a younger sibling, the toddler  was strapped in a child safety seat in the back. The older sibling exited the car, leaving the five-year-old because they assumed he was asleep.

Sheriff Gonzalez states that the 5-year-old normally would unbuckle himself and that the vehicle he was in was a “loaner car” and not the typical car they would ride in. NBC News reports that they are not immediately clear based on the sheriff’s statements on what time the deputies responded and the time they found the child not responsive.

 It is a very unfortunate incident; the party would have been held mate Monday. The family was preparing the celebration and realized after two to three hours that the five-year-old remained in the safety seat buckled. A representative with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences stated that the boy’s manner of death was not available until Tuesday morning.

An NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston reported the high temperatures that Texas was experiencing and within that specific area on Monday, the temperatures were around 100 degrees. Even if the outside temperatures were such, a slightly opened window in a hot car could yield 125 degrees in minutes.

KidsAndCars.org organization mentioned that a child’s body can overheat five times faster than adults. The organization gave recommendations to remind caregivers to check for children and pets in the back seats.