Toddler who died from heat in Cowley County wandered outside after nap, sheriff says
A toddler who died from heat exposure on Tuesday in southern Cowley County wandered outside of a family home and got into a car after waking up from a nap, unbeknownst to its mother, Cowley County Sheriff David Falletti said Thursday.
The mother found her 2-year-old child unconscious and unresponsive in the vehicle some time later, the sheriff said in a news release. Deputies and medical personnel responded to the home, in rural Cowley County near Maple City, shortly after 6 p.m.
“Life saving measures were attempted and the child was transported to the South-Central Kansas Medical Center where the child was pronounced deceased,” Falletti said.
The preliminary results of the child’s autopsy attribute the death to “extreme heat exposure,” according to the release.
The Sheriff’s Office says the investigation showed the child had been laid down for a nap by the mother on Tuesday and unlocked the front door of the home after waking up. The child crawled into the family’s vehicle after going outside, Falletti said.
“This is a very tragic death,” Falletti said, adding: “Our prayers and condolences go out to the family.”
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 1:48 PM.
