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3-year-old tot FIGHTING FOR LIFE after she was left inside hot minivan for 7 hours

The toddler was found 'unresponsive' inside the vehicle that was parked outside the Le Smileys Early Learning Center on Lucas Street in Gracemere

A three-year-old girl is reportedly fighting for her life in hospital after being trapped for several hours inside a parked minivan in sweltering weather.

On Tuesday, May 3, the toddler was found "unresponsive" inside the vehicle that was parked outside the Le Smileys Early Learning Center on Lucas Street in Gracemere, Rockhampton, Central Queensland. Emergency responders arrived at the scene at about 2.50 pm and revived the girl before rushing her to Rockhampton Hospital. Queensland Ambulance reported how the three-year-old -- who wasn't identified for privacy reasons -- was "unconscious" when they found her.

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"#Gracemere - A three-year-old girl was found unconscious in a vehicle at Gracemere today," Queensland Ambulance wrote on Twitter. "The girl was located on a bus out the front of a school on Lucas Street just before 3 pm. She was transported in critical condition to Rockhampton Hospital," the post added.

Jason Thompson, the ambulance service's Central Region operations manager, told the press on Wednesday afternoon, May 4, that the girl was found "unresponsive." He described the situation as "traumatic" for the paramedics who treated her and said he had "goosebumps" talking about it. "On the crew’s arrival, Queensland Police were already on scene and escorted the crew into the childcare center where the young child was on the floor in the admin area," Thompson explained. He said it wasn't immediately clear how long the victim was trapped inside the minivan. However, some reports said it may have been several hours. Nine News Queensland reporter Tim Arvier told 4BC on Wednesday that "it's believed she has been on the bus since 9.30 am, she was found around 3.15 pm."

Rockhampton witnessed a maximum temperature of 84.2F on Wednesday. Local state MP Brittany Lauga said the incident “simply shouldn’t have happened” and vowed to ensure there is a full inquiry into what transpired. “Tonight is a little girl in Gracemere who is fighting for her life in hospital,” Lauga said. “I know this little girl is very much in the thoughts of all of us tonight, wishing for a full recovery. My thoughts are with this little girl’s family and friends. I understand the Queensland police service is the lead agency and the Department of Education as the regulator for early childhood services in Queensland will continue to assist them as necessary. We don’t yet know the full circumstances of what has occurred but of course, there will be a full inquiry.”

That said, the toddler is in a "critical but stable" condition in hospital, accompanied by her parents at her bedside. Multiple police vehicles were spotted monitoring access to and from the childcare facility. Authorities interviewed the center's staff and inspected the white minivan, especially a seat in the middle of the vehicle. 

According to the Daily Mail, the incident was similar to the tragic case of Maliq Nicholas Lloyd Namok-Malamoo, who was found dead on the Goodstart Early Learning Center minibus in the Cairns suburb of Edmonton on February 18, 2020. The three-year-old boy, fondly remembered as 'Meeky', was left on the minibus in temperatures that reached 132F. The daycare center's director Michael Lewis was jailed for six years for manslaughter after the court heard there had been some confusion about the toddler's pickup on the morning of his demise. Prosecutors said Lewis failed to take Meeky off the bus or sign him in after arriving at the learning center.