Overview
- The boy was forgotten in his father’s car at the Istres air force base on Thursday morning and was discovered unresponsive hours later.
- Rescue teams were unable to revive him and an autopsy confirmed acute dehydration as the cause of death.
- The father remains in custody on suspicion of negligent homicide as investigators review procedural practices at the air base.
- Official records show regional temperatures reached 36 °C in the shade, a level that can push car interiors beyond 45 °C within minutes.
- A surge in European heat-related child fatalities has prompted proposals for mandatory rear-seat reminder systems and legal powers for bystanders to act.