Death of 2-year-old child in south-central Kansas possibly due to heat, authorities say
Authorities say the death of a 2-year-old child in Cowley County may have been due to heat.
Emergency medical personnel and deputies with the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in a rural part of the county shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday following a call about an unresponsive child.
“Early indications show that the child died due to heat,” the Sheriff’s Office said by email.
No other details were released, including what the toddler was doing when they became unresponsive or what other factors might have played a role in the death. But authorities did say it doesn’t appear anything criminal occurred.
Eastern and central portions of the state including Cowley County are under a heat advisory as temperatures this week tick up into the 90s and low 100s. In some places, heat indexes are expected to reach triple digits.
The temperature in Cowley County was in the upper 90s around the time authorities received the emergency call about the toddler, according to National Weather Service records.
The case remained under investigation Wednesday.
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 10:13 AM.
