The father of a toddler rescued from a hot, locked car in an affluent Sydney suburb said he forgot about his son because the boy’s mother usually does the day care run.
Richard Ligault said it had been a ‘rough night’ he simply forgot about his three-year-old son, thinking he had already been dropped off.
‘I went to drop off my kid at the school, he fell asleep in the car … I went straight to work,’ Mr Ligault told media.
Richard Ligault’s (pictured) toddler was rescued from a hot car in an affluent Sydney suburb and he said he forgot about his son because the boy’s mother usually does day care run
The boy, believed to be just two or three years old, was found dehydrated and visibly distressed inside a car (pictured) on Thursday
Mr Ligault (pictured Thursday) said he thought he had already dropped the child off at school
Neighbour Miller Lu told 9 News he was outside when he spotted the Kia Carnival parked on Powell Street, Neutral Bay, and noticed ‘the little arm had little movement’.
Officers broke the window of the car to rescue the toddler who was found dehydrated and visibly distressed inside the hot car at about 11.15am Thursday.
Police believe the three-year-old was inside the car alone for about three hours.
Mr Ligault returned to the apartment complex early on Thursday afternoon.
‘It’s a disaster, I hope that it doesn’t happen to any other parent. It’s your worst nightmare,’ he told reporters.
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 father asked journalists if they could give him a lift to North Shore Hospital, where his son was being treated for dehydration
Police were forced to rescue the dehydrated toddler from the hot car by smashing a window
Police seized the man’s car and left a note on the door to the family’s home saying the car had been impounded as ‘you left your child in the car’.
The father asked journalists if they could give him a lift to North Shore Hospital, where his son was being treated for dehydration.
The incident prompted police and paramedics to again warn parents of the potentially deadly consequences of leaving children in cars, especially in summer.
In a statement, NSW Police said the boy has been released from hospital.
The three-year-old boy was taken to North Shore Hospital and was treated for dehydration
‘Police have spoken to the parents of the child, and inquiries continue.’
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
Even on a mild day, the temperature inside a car can reach upwards of 40C, NSW Police said
‘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.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Ligault for comment.
Officers broke a window of the car to rescue the toddler believed to be there for three hours