An Australian mother has been charged after leaving her toddler in a swelteringly hot car while she bought cigarettes and visited the doctor on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.
A concerned shopper spotted the distressed 18-month-old boy locked in a car that was parked at Southport's Australia Fair around midday.
The Fire Service was called in to rescue the toddler, smashing one of the car's back windows to gain access.
According to reports from 9 NEWS the boy was trapped for at least 30 minutes and was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital where he was treated for dehydration.
"Did they forget that they had a child in a vehicle, or had they purposely left the child in the car to go and do their shopping?" Tony Chicco from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said.
The 28-year-old mother has been charged with leaving a child unattended and will face Southport Court at a later date.
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