Baby in critical condition after being left in hot car in central Israel

A four month old baby was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, after being found unconscious and alone in a car parked in the sun in central Israel.

According to the Magen David Adom emergency services, medics were called to the scene in Kfar Chabad, an ultra-Orthodox town southeast of Tel Aviv, where the baby was found in the enclosed car.

Residents had reported that the baby was left in the car for an extended period of time, MDA said.

Paramedics said the baby showed signs of heatstroke and was quickly taken to the nearby Shamir Medical Center for emergency care.

“When we arrived, we were led to the baby who was unconscious, after being in a closed vehicle for a long time,” a medic said at the scene.

“We performed an initial medical assessment of the baby, and noticed that he was very warm to the touch,” the medic added.

Further information about the status of the child or their family was not reported.

According to the Beterem organization for children’s safety, since 2009, 41 children have died in Israel as a result of being left in a car, with four such deaths recorded last year.

Wednesday was the first day of a heatwave in Israel and the surrounding countries, with temperatures reaching above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in most areas of central Israel, over 35ºC (95ºF) in Beersheba and much of the south, and close to 40ºC (104ºF) in the Jordan Valley.

Temperatures were expected to rise as the week continued, with the Israel Meteorological Service issuing severe heat warnings for the Jordan Valley and the Judean Desert, as well as moderate heat warnings for the eastern Galilee.