Chloe died of suspected heatstroke as she slept in back seat outside work
A BABY girl died of suspected heatstroke after accidentally being left in her dad’s car for hours.
Seven-month-old Chloe Fogarty’s father Paul planned to drop her off at a creche on his way to work.
But he reportedly got distracted by a phone call and drove straight to his workplace.
He then forgot that the sleeping girl was still strapped into her seat in the back of his car as temperatures soared to 25C.
Police in County Tipperary, Ireland, were alerted to the incident in the village of Dundrum at about 1.45pm on Thursday.
Paul and Chloe had left the family home in nearby Rossmore Village just after 8am.
The baby was treated on the scene by paramedics before being taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Limerick.
Her dad and mum Louise rushed to be at her side but she died shortly after 5pm.
It is understood Chloe was the couple’s only child. They were being comforted by family, friends and neighbours yesterday.
Local councillor Michael Fitzgerald said the couple, who got married last year, were heartbroken.
He told our sister paper the Irish Mirror: “I was talking to Paul yesterday morning. He was planning to build a new house in the parish.
“They were making plans for the future but within a few hours everything changed for them.
“Everybody here is devastated. They are a very well-liked, hard-working family.
“The birth of his baby seven months ago was the highlight of Paul’s life. The baby was everything to him.
“This is an awful case of human error.
“It was the hottest day of the year. Even if it had have been today … there’s a lot more coldness there.
“We can say, ‘What if Paul didn’t offer to do the run to the creche?’ There are just so many ‘what ifs’.
“He just totally forgot, he was consumed by his work.”
Paul is a foreman at O’Dwyer Steel.
Roger Kennedy, a county councillor from Cashel, said the family were well-known and involved in the community.
He said: “It’s an awful tragedy. There is total sadness here.”
Police have described the incident as a tragic accident.