Missing Toddler Found Dead in ‘Unlocked’ Family Car After Disappearing Just Hours Earlier in a Spider-Man T-Shirt

A 3-year-old boy has been found dead several hours after he was reported missing near his home in Australia, according to local reports.

The toddler was reported missing from a residence on Central Avenue in Bundaberg, Queensland, on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 6. Authorities were alerted after concerns were raised when the child could not be located.

The boy, described as having blonde hair, was last seen at the Central Avenue property wearing a Spiderman costume, according to reports.

Queensland Police and local emergency services launched a search that evening, with members of the local community also joining efforts to find the child.

At around 9:30 p.m. local time, police located the boy unresponsive inside an unlocked car at the Central Avenue property. Emergency responders were unable to revive him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released.

Officials have confirmed that the vehicle was unlocked at the time the child was found. It has not been publicly clarified whether the property where the car was parked was the boy’s family home.

Authorities have stated that the death is not being treated as suspicious. A coroner’s report is being prepared as part of standard procedure.

Bundaberg Mayor Helen Blackburn expressed her condolences following the incident, saying she was deeply saddened by the tragic loss and extending her sympathies to the child’s family during what she described as an incredibly difficult time.