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10-month-old boy dies after being left in car while parents shop in Kitakyushu

19 Comments

A 10-month-old boy died of suspected heatstroke after his parents left him in their car for 2 1/2 hours while they went shopping in Kitakyushu on Saturday.

According to police, the incident occurred at a Costco store in Yahatanishi Ward. Kyodo News reported that at around 12:35 p.m. Saturday, the child’s mother called 119 and said her 10-month-old son was having difficulty breathing in the car and that his face had turned a pale color.

By the time an ambulance arrived, the boy, Kizuki Nakayama, was unconscious and in a state of cardio-pulmonary arrest. He was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to local weather agency officials, the temperature at noon in the area was 32.9 degrees.

Police said Kizuki’s parents and his three siblings had arrived at the store at around 10 a.m. Kizuki was sleeping in a child seat behind the driver's seat.

The family left Kizuki in the car and split up inside the store. Police said both parents told them they thought the other had gone back to see if Kizuki was awake and to bring him into the store.

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19 Comments
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Poor kid... I am so tired of seeing these stories. Stop having kids if you can't even use your brain, or communicate with your spouse, you absolute nonces.

21 ( +21 / -0 )

Outside temperature can be 32 degrees now, inside that car can be much more.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

RIP! I wish the Japanese would worry more about this kind of stuff..... than some minor manner/rule infraction. How about a public TV campaign every summer?

6 ( +12 / -6 )

Heartbreaking.

Like PharaohChromium, I too am tired of seeing these stories. If only a little caution was taken.

Preventable tragedy.

Rest In Peace, little one.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

I'm sorry, I tried hard but simply can't find any issue in bringing your own child with you whenever you park your godamn car. We started going out with our son as soon as he turned 1 month old and it doesnt matter if he's 2 years old now, can't even imagine us getting into a store and leaving our kid trapped inside the car, regardless of the weather, if he's sleeping or how quick it will be. But again, they walk among us.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

I was wondering when we would see our first one of these. Absolutely horrific. The parents are idiotic beyond belief.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

sorry for the child. I’m sure this was intentional as children are considered a burden to most newborns parents. No father or mother leaves an infant alone especially in a car to go shopping. This only happens in Japan

-10 ( +2 / -12 )

Send both to prison

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Poor child got a bad draw of 2 stupid parents. You don't go back or assume the other parent has gone back. You bring the child with you from the get-go. It's 32 degrees outside car and 50 degrees inside it. Willful negligence along with sheer stupidity.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

As a parent of two kids, I have trouble imagining a scenario where my wife and I would ever have left them alone and unattended anywhere, let alone in a parked car on a blistering hot day. Sleeping or not, you always take them with you.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Aaaaaand another one. Take the other two kids away IMMEDIATELY and lock these parents up for criminal neglect.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

It happens worldwide, not just Japan. No amount of public information campaigns will prevent these kinds of deaths.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

As a parent of two kids, I have trouble imagining a scenario where my wife and I would ever have left them alone and unattended anywhere, let alone in a parked car on a blistering hot day. Sleeping or not, you always take them with you.

I already regret enough for having left my months old son with his grandma in the car to go for the groceries just to come back and hear him crying as soon as I step out of the elevator. Imagine waking up tied to a seat in a dark car without the only people you know in your life, strangers passing by you, terrifying. Who gives this kind of needless trauma to its own kid?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

. . . I always leave one of the car windows open quarter inch (~7 mm) even if I away from the car for less than an hour, in order that fresh air can come into the car . . . .

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

It sounds like mother and the 3 older kids got out before dad parked the car. Dad assumed that mum had taken the baby and then apparently didn't meet up with wife and kids for 2 and a half hours while the baby was slow roasting in the car. I know Costco is big but even on my longest strolls around and getting a sit down hot dog, Its never anywhere near this length of time.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

finally richAug. 27  07:56 pm JST

I'm sorry, I tried hard but simply can't find any issue in bringing your own child with you whenever you park your godamn car. 

Too right.

oldman_13Aug. 27  10:00 pm JST

It happens worldwide, not just Japan.

Good thing absolutely nobody is claiming this or you’d have some sort of point.

No amount of public information campaigns will prevent these kinds of deaths.

Then we shouldn’t even try, correct?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

rainydayAug. 27  09:55 pm JST

As a parent of two kids, I have trouble imagining a scenario where my wife and I would ever have left them alone and unattended anywhere, let alone in a parked car on a blistering hot day. Sleeping or not, you always take them with you.

Correct. You do understand that this happens worldwide, not just in Japan, correct? I know that has zero relevancy to this article, but it has to be said!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

No amount of public information campaigns will prevent these kinds of deaths.

Nonsense. Public education campaigns DO at least reduce the incidents of these sorts of crimes. If they save one child it is worthwhile.

I have seen on youtube a demonstration of a chef slow-cooking a leg of lamb inside a car in summer. That video said it all about the intense heat that builds up inside the car.

Rest in Peace to the poor little baby.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Shouldn't this article be in the Crime section, rather than just general National news?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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