3-year-old reported missing found dead inside vehicle in Cheatham Co.
CHEATHAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A 3-year-old boy died Tuesday after he was found unresponsive inside a broken-down van on a property in Cheatham County, according to the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office.
Lt. Shannon Heflin said deputies responded to the property off Navaho Trail around 4:06 p.m. after receiving a report of a missing toddler.
About six minutes later, another child who was helping search the property found the boy inside a van parked there.
Family members called 911 and began CPR with instructions from dispatchers. Heflin said a sheriff’s office drug agent who arrived at the scene took over CPR until rescue crews arrived, but the child could not be revived.
The case remains under investigation, but Heflin said the preliminary investigation indicates several children and adults had been taking a nap inside the home around midday.
Investigators believe a door to the home, which normally latches, may not have been secured after a DoorDash delivery. Authorities believe the toddler, who had a history of wandering outside, left the home sometime after 1 p.m., got into the broken-down van and was unable to get back out.
“It appears that the child probably wasn’t able to get out of the van once he was inside,” Heflin said.
Temperatures Tuesday reached the upper 90s, and Heflin said the heat index inside the vehicle would have been well over 100 degrees.
“This situation is very tragic,” Heflin said. “It’s probably the worst call that a law enforcement officer or emergency personnel can respond to.”
Authorities stressed that the child was not left inside the vehicle. They urged parents and caregivers to always know where young children are and to check vehicles, particularly during hot weather.
The investigation remains ongoing..