Surrey RCMP are investigating and the Ministry of Children and Family Development has been contacted after two young children – including an infant – were left in a car this evening, with the windows seemingly closed.
It happened at King’s Cross Shopping Centre in Newton, just before 7 p.m.
Lyn Busch was at the mall when she noticed the children were in the car with the doors locked and car still running.
“I came out and noticed a police officer circling a car…and thought, oh my god, there must be a dog in there,” said Busch, who filmed the incident.
Police officers opened the car to let in fresh air and check in on the children.
“I noticed one at first that was screaming, red-face, and then I went around to the side and saw an infant. Obviously they were in distress,” said Busch.
Their mother could be seen inside the grocery store finishing her shopping. Only after paying for her groceries did she rejoin her kids and face questioning by police.
Surrey RCMP said the woman defended her actions, pointing out the car was running and the air conditioning was on.
But police said the toddler could have accidentally put the car in drive, and it’s never safe to leave young kids unattended.
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The woman could face charges, including ones under the motor vehicle act. As standard practice, the Ministry of Children and Family Development has also been notified.
READ MORE: What kind of person could forget a child in a hot car? Anyone, experts say
It’s a reminder to parents to make sure their children aren’t left unattended in the summer time.
In 2014, the Canada Safety Council said that while no Canadian data is available, an average of 38 of these types of deaths occur each year from heat-related incidents in the United States.
READ MORE: Caught on Camera: Firefighters and pedestrians rescue baby trapped inside hot car
Known as “Forgotten Baby Syndrome” (FBS), experts say the extreme memory lapse can easily happen to anyone.
Even on days that seem relatively mild, experts say it only takes 20 minutes for the interior of a vehicle to reach extreme temperatures.
“Exposure to these conditions can cause a child to overheat, go into shock and sustain vital organ failure,” said Raynald Marchand of the Canada Safety Council.
“In the confined space of a car, temperatures can climb so rapidly that they overwhelm a child’s ability to regulate his or her internal temperature. The body, especially a small body, can go into shock quickly, and circulation to vital organs can fail.”
– With files from Catherine Urquhart and Irene Ogrodnik
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