3-year-old boy in Utah dies after being left unattended in hot car: Sheriff
The family left the child after going on a shopping trip, officials said.
A 3-year-old Utah boy has died after he was left alone in a hot car outside of his home, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
On Monday at approximately 6:11 p.m., officials received a 911 call from someone screaming, with the caller then hanging up on authorities, the sheriff's office said in a press release on Wednesday.
Eventually, authorities were able to gather information and determine that "a child was injured" outside an apartment complex in Veyo, Utah, and dispatched medical crews, officials said.
Once medical teams arrived to the scene, they found the 3-year-old, who was unresponsive, officials said. Someone at the scene was attempting to do CPR on the child when officials arrived, Northwest Fire Special Services District Chief Charles Guthrie told Salt Lake City ABC affiliate KTVX.
The toddler was pronounced dead on the scene by emergency medical crews "in conjunction with an on-call doctor," officials said.
During their initial investigation, authorities learned the child was "left unattended in the vehicle after a shopping trip with family," officials said.
The investigation remains ongoing and there have not been any arrests or charges filed, a spokesperson with the Washington County Sheriff's Office told ABC News on Thursday.
"The Washington County Sheriff's Office is saddened that this tragic incident occurred and extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends and community this has affected," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
The identity of the child has not been released.
"It's very impactful. ... It's devastating to lose a child like that. You know, mistakes happen, but still, to lose a child in that way is very, very difficult," Guthrie told KTVX.
Temperatures at St. George Regional Airport -- which is approximately 33 miles from Veyo, Utah -- reached 102 degrees on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
According to Kids and Car Safety, an organization focused on "saving the lives of children and pets in and around vehicles," nearly 40 children die in hot cars every year in the United States, which is approximately one every nine days.
Click here for hot car safety tips to keep in mind when temperatures rise.