Hot Car Death: Record-breaking Heat Wave Kills 3-year-old Boy In Austria

File photo showing the sun on the horizon. (Jordan Wozniak / Unsplash)

A 3-year-old boy is the latest to die in the heatwave scorching Europe, according to reports, after the youngster climbed into a car and fell asleep in temperatures exceeding 98 degrees F.

The boy was at his grandparents’ home in Austria’s south-eastern region of Styria, The Mirror reported, when he went out into the courtyard and climbed into the hot car for a nap.

Someone found the boy about an hour later, unresponsive. He was rushed to a hospital in Graz in critical condition, but doctors were unable to save his life.

The boy’s death happened in the city of Riegersburg as weather experts began warning of dangerously high temperatures in parts of Europe.

Germany set a new temperature record, reaching 105.6 degrees F in the west of the country on Thursday, BBC reported.

Temperatures in Paris hit a record-breaking 105.1 degrees Fahrenheit, while the UK shattered its temperature record with a sweltering 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

French officials were cited by the Independent as warning people not to take non-essential journeys.

The Netherlands also set a new record, with temperatures peaking at its highest ever temperature, at 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Two Walmart Shoppers Charged With Leaving Baby in Hot Car

The incident follows a case of two Alabama women who were arrested after going shopping at a local hypermarket and leaving an infant unattended in their sweltering car.

On July 22, Scottsboro Police Department (SPD) detained and charged locals Angela Marie Dobbins, 46, and Anita Jean Dobbins, 18, with reckless endangerment.

SPD is accusing the suspects of leaving a baby in their vehicle unattended outside the Walmart Supercenter at 24833 John T Reid Parkway in Scottsboro, 204 miles north of Montgomery.

It took minutes for police to respond to a phone call reporting the distressed child was trapped in a hot car. Officers who arrived at the scene discovered the car’s engine was turned off and doors were locked.

“The child, 8-months-old, [was] crying inside,” police said. Two Alabama women were arrested after going shopping at a local hypermarket and leaving an infant unattended in their sweltering car on July 22.

Scottsboro Police Department (SPD) has detained and charged locals Angela Marie Dobbins, 46, and Anita Jean Dobbins, 18, with reckless endangerment in a statement. “The temperature was around 89 degrees [Fahrenheit] at that time.”

Since the two women where nowhere to be seen, officers forced their way into the car and rescued the infant. The adults are believed to have left the scene a little earlier.

“Officers gained access inside the vehicle by breaking a window,” police said. “Officers determined the child was left unattended in the vehicle approximately 15 minutes before officers arrived.”

Health professionals rushed to the scene to provide urgent medical assistance to the child who is now in a stable condition.

“The child was treated by medical personnel on scene and is doing fine,” police said.

The Alabama Department of Human Resources has placed the child in temporary care pending a full investigation.

On SPD’s social media page, several concerned citizens approved of the state’s decision to take temporary custody of the child.

“I hope that child is in Child Protective Services,” one person commented on Facebook. “I know it wasn’t with the parents but maybe the people you leave your baby with should be trustworthy.”

Richard Szabo contributed to this report.