A toddler has been rescued from a locked car in an affluent Sydney suburb with police smashing a window to save him.
The boy, believed to be just two or three years old, was found dehydrated and visibly distressed inside the car parked outside a unit block on the leafy Powell Street in Neutral Bay about 11.15am on Thursday.
Officers broke the window of the car to rescue the toddler who is believed to have been inside the vehicle alone for close to 40 minutes, police say.
Temperatures in the area rose to 25c at 11am, but in-car temperatures can be up to 30 degrees hotter than outside on a typical summer day.
The boy, believed to be just two or three years old, was found dehydrated and visibly distressed inside a car (pictured) on Thursday
The boy’s parents have not yet been found.
The incident prompted police and paramedics to again warn parents of the potentially deadly consequences of leaving children in cars, especially in summer.
Even on a mild day, the temperature inside a car can reach upwards of 40C, NSW Police said in a statement.
‘I recorded the temperature inside a car for some internal research last summer and it reached 78 degrees in just minutes,’ NSW Ambulance Chief Inspector Brian Parsell previously said.
The vehicle (pictured) was parked outside a unit block on the leafy Powell Street in Neutral Bay, on Sydney’s affluent north shore, about 11.15am, police say
‘The situation can quickly cause damage to body cells leading to unconsciousness, shock, organ failure and death. Even in milder temperatures, children and babies can get sick very quickly.’
The RACV also says tests show that on a 30C day, the temperature inside a car can rise to 70C in a matter of minutes.
A maximum of 28C was forecast for Sydney on Thursday.
Officers broke the window of the car to rescue the toddler who is believed to have been inside the vehicle alone for close to 40 minutes