USSEL, FRANCE — A young child, just over one year old, was hospitalized in critical condition on Friday after being left inside a parked car under the sun for several hours in Ussel, a town in the Corrèze department of central France.
Emergency services were called around 1:00 p.m. to a vehicle parked in the lot of a shopping area in the southeastern part of the town, which has a population of approximately 9,000. The child, reportedly suffering from severe dehydration, was airlifted in “absolute emergency” to the University Hospital Center (CHU) in Limoges, according to local firefighters, confirming reports by La Montagne.
In the car since 8 a.m.
According to regional station Ici Limousin, the child is believed to have been inside the vehicle since 8:00 a.m., enduring several hours of rising heat. The Tulle public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation, which has been entrusted to the Ussel police department. No further details have been released about the child’s current condition as of now.
The incident occurred as Corrèze was under a yellow-level heatwave alert, part of France’s first major heatwave of 2025. Temperatures in some areas exceeded 35°C (95°F) on Friday, intensifying the risks associated with leaving children or pets in vehicles even for short periods.
Authorities and child safety advocates continue to urge the public to remain vigilant during extreme weather conditions, as such tragedies are preventable with greater awareness and precaution.