In 2nd death in a week, 3-year-old boy dies after he was left for hours in car

A three-year-old boy died Friday after being left in a family car in the northern village of Sallama for a prolonged period of time, police said in a statement.

The boy was named by Hebrew media as Muhammad Ali Suaed from the village of Kamanneh — it was unknown how long he was in the car for.

The boy was treated by paramedics on the scene before he was taken to hospital in Nahariya, where his death was declared.

Police have opened an investigation into the incident.

Orly Silvinger from the children’s safety organization Beterem, told the Ynet news site that there has been an increase in the number of cases in which children were forgotten in cars, and that it seemed to be particularly prevalent during times of stress and where people were no longer living their usual routines.

“Studies show that forgetting in the car can happen to anyone and most often it occurs in situations of stress and getting out of the routine,” Silvinger said. “On hot days, like those expected next week, the vehicle heats up quickly to a temperature of 70 degrees. That’s why we urge parents — do not say ‘it will not happen to me.’ Adopt a life-saving habit. Open the back door at the end of each trip, talk to your spouse on arrival, leave a vital object in the back seat or install a reminder on your cellphone — it is our responsibility to prevent the next incident.”

Ali Suaed’s death came after a four-year-old boy died Monday after being left for hours in a family car in the southern city of Dimona.

Screen capture from video of the scene where a boy, 4, was left for several hours during the day in a vehicle, July 20, 2020. (Walla news)

Magen David Adom paramedics who were called to the family home in the evening attempted to resuscitate the boy, who was showing symptoms of heatstroke. He was taken to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba in critical condition and doctors later pronounced his death.

Police have opened a formal investigation but an initial probe found that the boy had fallen asleep in the car as his family returned from a trip to a swimming pool, Hebrew media reported.

The boy’s mother told police that she and her two daughters left the car and entered the family home and only realized hours later that the boy was not with them.

Earlier Monday, paramedics were called to attend to a two-year-old boy who was brought to clinic in Rahat, apparently after having been left in a car. He was taken to Soroka Hospital in moderate condition with heatstroke symptoms.

The Beterem children’s safety group over the past decade has recorded 881 incidents of children left in vehicles, of which 32 died.