Seaton, Adelaide: Shock cause of death is revealed after five-year-old girl was found unresponsive at a home – as heartbreaking details emerge of the frantic efforts to save her life

The grief-stricken family of a five-year-old girl have revealed the cause of her death was a suspected asthma attack. 

Emergency services rushed to the Housing Trust on Ballater Avenue in Seaton in Adelaide’s western suburbs just before 4pm on Wednesday following reports a young girl was ‘unresponsive’. 

Paramedics treated the young girl at the scene before rushing her to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital where she died a short time later. 

The girl’s great uncle Anthony Wanganeen said she had suffered from asthma for several years. 

Mr Wanganeen believes the little girl’s mum was out buying her daughter an inhaler when she suffered the asthma attack. 

Paramedics treated the girl at the scene before rushing her to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital where she died a short time later

He added her sudden death has devastated the girl’s large Indigenous family. 

‘We’re just in shock that she’s gone,’ Mr Wanganeen told The Advertiser.

‘There’s no way you’d expect a five-year-old girl to die of asthma. She was just like any other little kid, playful and happy.’

A coronial investigation will be made into the girl’s death, however police are not treating it as suspicious or domestic violence related. 

Emergency services received the triple-0 call from 13-year-old Jabar Stanikzai after he heard the screams of a man while walking home from school. 

The young teen approached the man and saw he was holding a little girl in his arms who was not moving.

The man yelled at Jabar to call an ambulance, which prompted him to contact emergency services.  

‘When I came closer to the man I could see that he was holding a child – a little girl – in his arms and she was limp, not moving or anything and he was yelling her name I think,’ Jabar said.

‘When he saw me, he shouted at me to call the ambulance so I ran to the phone booth on the street and called the ambulance.’

Jabar made the call just before 4pm and within five minutes saw six or seven ambulances and multiple police cars arrive at the home. 

The girl’s great uncle Anthony Wanganeen (pictured) said she had suffered from asthma for several years. He believes her mum was out buying her daughter an inhaler at the time of the asthma attack

Jabar’s father Abdul Ghafar Stanikzai said he was proud of his son for helping the man and could not fathom losing a child. 

‘I’m very proud of Jabar because he has never been in an emergency situation like this before and he showed he was able to help others,’ Mr Stanikzai said.

‘But I am a father of three sons, and one of my children is five years old just like that little girl and I don’t want to even imagine what it’s like losing someone so young.’

Neighbour Sharon Surace, 67, also heard the man’s cries for help and described the scene as ‘horrific’ and heartbreaking’. 

‘All I heard was this guy screeching, he wasn’t yelling like he was fighting or drunk, you just knew it was a scream like someone has died,’ Ms Surace said.

‘It was a horrific scene to witness, to see this guy holding the (unresponsive) little girl in his arms and yelling for help, it’s just heartbreaking.’

Ms Surace, who has lost a child in the past, left flowers on the doorstep of the girl’s home on Thursday as the family ‘would be going through the hardest of days’. 

Neighbour Sharon Surace, 67, (pictured)  also heard the man’s cries for help and described the scene as ‘horrific’ and heartbreaking’ 

Flowers left at the site where a five-year-old girl died in Adelaide on Wednesday

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said authorities were treating the case ‘seriously’ and that authorities were trying to establish how the child died on Wednesday.

‘It’s obviously very tragic when anyone loses their life, more so with a young person,’ he told ABC Radio Adelaide.

‘Until we have further clarification in relation to the cause and circumstances, we obviously treat it seriously.’

The Major Crimes unit is helping with investigations into her death, which Commissioner Stevens said was the usual procedure for early inquiries due to the child’s age.

‘When we have a five-year-old child pass away we want to make sure we have the right resources to establish the circumstances as quickly as possible so we can move forward in the right direction,’ Commissioner Stevens said.