Details of girl’s sudden death revealed
The family of a five-year-old girl who suddenly died in an Adelaide home says the child had suffered a suspected asthma attack.
Emergency services were called to a house on Ballater Ave, Seaton in Adelaide’s western suburbs about 4pm on Wednesday to reports a five-year-old girl was found unresponsive.
Paramedics treated what authorities believed to be a cardiac arrest incident.
The girl’s great uncle Anthony Wanganeen said the family was “in shock”.
“There’s no way you’d expect a five-year-old girl to die of asthma,” he told The Adelaide Advertiser.
Mr Wanganeen said the girl had suffered for asthma for many years, and described her as a “playful and happy” child.
He also said he believed her mother had been buying an inhaler for the child at the time of the attack.
While a South Australia Police spokesperson wouldn’t confirm the child’s suspected cause of death, they confirmed her family were working with police, and no charges or arrests have been made.
Earlier on Thursday, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said authorities were treating the case “seriously,” and said authorities were trying to establish how the child died.
“It’s obviously very tragic when anyone loses their life, more so with a young person,” he told ABC Radio Adelaide.
“Until we have further clarification in relation to the cause and circumstances, we obviously treat it seriously.”
The Major Crimes unit is helping with investigations into her death, which Commissioner Stevens said was the usual for early inquiries due to the child’s age.
“When we have a five-year-old child pass away we want to make sure we have the right resources to establish the circumstances as quickly as possible so we can move forward in the right direction,” he said.
The 13-year-old teen who made the triple-0 call told the Adelaide Advertiser he sprang into action after hearing a man screaming.
“When I came closer to the man I could see that he was holding a child – a little girl – in his arms and she was limp, not moving or anything and he was yelling her name I think,” he said.
“When he saw me, he shouted at me to call the ambulance so I ran to the phone booth on the street and called the ambulance.”
The five-year-old girl was treated at the scene but later died at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
“The matter is now subject to a coronial investigation. Police will remain at the scene for some time,” a police spokesperson said.
