TORONTO – Elijah Marsh, a missing Toronto toddler who was found outdoors in the extreme cold, spent about six hours in subzero temperatures.
In what’s become a painful story for the city, the three-year-old boy died in hospital Thursday where he succumbed to his injuries.
Authorities say he was not dressed for the outdoor weather, wearing boots and a shirt but no coat when he wandered outside of his building’s lobby just after 4 a.m.
READ MORE: Missing Toronto toddler Elijah Marsh found in the snow dies in hospital
His family reported him missing at 7:30 a.m. He was found in life-threatening condition, lying in the corner of a rear yard just after 10 a.m.
Keep in mind, the city of Toronto is currently under an extreme cold weather alert as temperatures dip to below -30 degrees Celsius with the windchill.
The little boy couldn’t have staved off the cold weather for long. When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
READ MORE: Online donations surpass $100K for Elijah Marsh’s funeral
“Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body’s stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature,” the CDC warns.
When your body temperature is too low, it affects the brain making you unable to think clearly or move well. You become disoriented, lose your bearings and can get lost.
Victims of hypothermia are typically elderly people without adequate supply of food, clothing or heat, children sleeping in cold bedrooms or people who remain outdoors for too long, the CDC says.
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