A four-year-old Moldovan boy has died at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital after suffering heatstroke during a family vacation in northwest Sardinia. The child, whose parents were tourists staying with friends in Olmedo, was initially hospitalized at Santissima Annunziata Hospital in Sassari on August 6th.
According to Carabinieri from Alghero Company, the toddler slipped out of the residence while his parents rested. Upon discovering him missing, the parents found him unconscious inside their car, which was parked under the blazing sun. The mother immediately alerted emergency services.
Paramedics and local Carabinieri responded. After hearing the parents’ account, officers rushed the child to Sassari, where he was admitted to intensive care in desperate condition. Doctors confirmed heatstroke from prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures inside the vehicle.
Despite two days of treatment in Sassari showing no significant improvement, physicians arranged his transfer to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for specialized care. While the boy’s condition appeared to stabilize slightly on Sunday, it deteriorated sharply on Monday. Pediatric intensive care specialists were unable to save him.
The Rome Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the circumstances. Authorities are examining the parents’ account that the child left unsupervised entered the sun-exposed car. Investigators are determining whether the fatal heatstroke resulted solely from prolonged confinement in the vehicle or if a prior medical episode occurred.
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