TX - Lilly Parsons, 4, Found Dead in Vehicle, 6 July 2011

[burbqueen]

This seems just like a tragic accident and I'm trying not to criticize the parents, but I do think some people are a bit too loose and free with their kids. It is sooo hot and I dont see me letting my 4 year old just go outside and play without checking frequently. I think people just get busy and assume the world is safe. Well it's not.

 

[OrdinaryLife]

I cannot toss any blame towards these grieving parents. It is truly a tragic accident. Even in the worse cases regarding the death of children are often not the fault of anyone. They just happen.

30 something years ago, I had a 4 year old cousin drown in a saltwater pond. The surf was horrendous so the choice was made, with several adults watching, to enjoy the calm pond. It took an hour to find his body and believe me, he was immediately looked for in that pond.

Horrific things happen. Been there, experienced that. My prayers for healing over time that will be needed for this family. Guilt is a horrific heart/soul pain when it comes to losing a child.

 

[keeponsearching]

Oh so sad. They even looked inside a few times. And she was really hiding. I am a little confused how it was ruled an accident, how it appeared she suffocated, and how they are not sure if the heat played a role in all this. Is that what takes places inside a car, you suffocate? And they had a nanny.

 

[CanManEh]

Did she get back in the SUV or did she not get out when they came home I guess iam wondering the same thing as some here how she got her seat belt off. A 4 year old well where i live ontario its 80 pounds or 8 years old up untill either one u gotta be in a car seat not easy to take off at 4 ..So sad If she went back in and was hiding and got hot she might of fell asleep and thats why the parents never seen her when they checked it ..

 

[Nova]

Oh so sad. They even looked inside a few times. And she was really hiding. I am a little confused how it was ruled an accident, how it appeared she suffocated, and how they are not sure if the heat played a role in all this. Is that what takes places inside a car, you suffocate? And they had a nanny.

I would think a 4-year-old would take quite awhile to suffocate, even in an airtight SUV. People have been known to spend the night in a closed car without having a problem.

ETA but you're right, that seems to be what the article says. I'm puzzled.

 

[Silkprint]

Oh no ..what a sad sad thing to happen!!
I feel so bad for all of them .
I don't understand what happened completely ..hopefully more details will emerge that will make more sense .

 

[Annie]

It only takes a few minutes if it is hot enough to reach temps incompatible with life. Good info here.
Fact Sheet - Hyperthermia Deaths of Children in Vehicles

People need to realize this, and watch children and pets carefully.

 

[BuzzieCat]

Same with drowning, which someone mentioned upthread. I was just reading on Snopes recently about drowning, and they said that people expect someone who is drowning to splash around and make a fuss when they go down, yet in actuality it's a very quiet thing and the person usually just quietly slips under unnoticed. That's a good thing to remember this summer with lots of water activities. Keep an eye on everyone and be safe in this heat and with lots of water stuff going on.

 

[OrdinaryLife]

Same with drowning, which someone mentioned upthread. I was just reading on Snopes recently about drowning, and they said that people expect someone who is drowning to splash around and make a fuss when they go down, yet in actuality it's a very quiet thing and the person usually just quietly slips under unnoticed. That's a good thing to remember this summer with lots of water activities. Keep an eye on everyone and be safe in this heat and with lots of water stuff going on.

Exactly. Little guy just ran in and immediately sank to the bottom. People should be very much aware that it's not always like you see in the movies.

 

[Nova]

Exactly. Little guy just ran in and immediately sank to the bottom. People should be very much aware that it's not always like you see in the movies.

I'm embarrassed to admit I have a subscription (it was a gift), but this month's Reader's Digest explains drowning in some detail. In fact, it is almost never like you see in the movies.

 

[Nefriahaia]

Sometimes I think it's a miracle any of us reached adulthood.

 

[tlcya]

I'm embarrassed to admit I have a subscription (it was a gift), but this month's Reader's Digest explains drowning in some detail. In fact, it is almost never like you see in the movies.

I would not be embarrassed! I love RD. Wish someone would gift me with a subscription. I got hooked on them when my grandparents were still alive.

you are right, it is never what it is made out to look like for the drama of films and tv.

 

[CCup]

Just a thought....if the child safety locks were on she would not have been able to open the door.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

This scares me every summer. If she got in the car, wouldn't she have open it if she got to hot? This is really heartbreaking. My daughter is almost 4, and I've always been worried about this. My kids are not allowed to play outside alone. I feel, not in this case since we don't know what happen, but people in general need to watch there kids outside.

I took my kids and dog down the road to a neighbors. When we got home, the dog came out with me, but must have jumped back in while my son got out. Within 30 minutes I started thinking I left her outside. She never runs away. I looked all over, and guess what I went to my car to drive around and there she was. I am so thankful that in Maine it was not in the 80's yet, and my car was still under shade. She did not even feel hot when she got out. I was so lucky, but felt so bad.

More than 50 percent of the children who died from heat stroke were forgotten by a caring adult who became distracted when they left the vehicle. Thirty percent of kids who died from hyperthermia were left unattended by an adult or gained entry into an unlocked vehicle and became trapped and overcome by heat. It takes only minutes for a child to be at risk of death and serious, permanent injury in a hot car. Drivers must keep car doors locked and keys out of reach from young children.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...d=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com

 

[OrdinaryLife]

Just a thought....if the child safety locks were on she would not have been able to open the door.

Not necessarily (did I spell that right?). Some car models have child safety locks, but they are so the child cannot open the door when inside the car. I had a couple of those during the years.

 

[Kat]

I'm embarrassed to admit I have a subscription (it was a gift), but this month's Reader's Digest explains drowning in some detail. In fact, it is almost never like you see in the movies.

Oh I thought they quit making that mag. Makes for great reading to stash in my purse when I have short waits while running errands. I read anything I have no discretion, I'll read a sport illustrated if thats all there is available haha.

I didn't see a thread here but did anyone else read about the 8 yr old boy that accidently locked himself in the trunk of his parents car and they went driving around looking for him before calling LE---they had no clue he was in the trunk deceased.

 

[Nova]

Oh I thought they quit making that mag. Makes for great reading to stash in my purse when I have short waits while running errands. I read anything I have no discretion, I'll read a sport illustrated if thats all there is available haha.

I didn't see a thread here but did anyone else read about the 8 yr old boy that accidently locked himself in the trunk of his parents car and they went driving around looking for him before calling LE---they had no clue he was in the trunk deceased.

I'm the same way with any printed material. If I walk into somebody's office, I have to make a conscious effort or I start reading the (upside-down) papers on the desk!

I'm embarrassed to say I read RD because of the digesting. It's as if my reading skills are too poor to read full articles. It isn't a reflection on the magazine's content. And the truth of the matter is that I end up reading subjects in RD that I would never think to read otherwise.

 

[CCup]

Not necessarily (did I spell that right?). Some car models have child safety locks, but they are so the child cannot open the door when inside the car. I had a couple of those during the years.

Sorry, I should have clarified...I meant that she wouldn't have been able to open the door once inside the car due to the child safety locks.

 

[wendybtn]

I constantly lock our empty cars sitting in the driveway. Any kid could climb in there, get hot and sleepy and die before anyone knew they were missing.