A nine-year-old child from Centurion had to be treated for dehydration on Thursday afternoon after he waited in his mother’s vehicle with locked doors and closed windows.
According to Frikkie Gous, spokesperson for Lifemed ambulance services, the paramedics were about to break open the window when the mother returned to the vehicle.
Lifemed paramedics were in the area when a bystander approached them and informed them about the child who seemed to not be breathing.
“The paramedics immediately rushed to the scene and found the child in the car. He was still breathing. The child tried to get out of the car but the all the doors were locked and windows were closed,” he said.
Temperatures reached 33°C on Thursday and according to Gous, temperatures could skyrocket inside a hot vehicle.
“Parents should under no circumstances leave their children alone in the vehicle. It is a punishable offence,” he said.
Warrant Officer Wanda Olivier, a police spokesperson, warned that a person can face charges of child or animal abuse if they leave an underage child or animal unattended in a vehicle.
“No child under the age of 16 is allowed to be left unattended in a vehicle or at home. There has to be adult supervision at all times in terms of child care. If an unattended child is harmed in any way, the child’s guardian may face legal implications,” she said.
Olivier said an unattended child in a vehicle is also a soft target for criminal activity.
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