Twin boys died of heat stroke after being left in an SUV for at least 9 hours

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  • Brayden and Bryson McDaniel, both 20 months old, were found dead inside an SUV.

  • According to a coroner's report, the twins likely died of heatstroke after being left in the vehicle for over nine hours.

  • Authorities say the parents likely forgot to drop the babies off at daycare before going to work.

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Twin 20-month-old boys were found dead on September 1 after being left in a hot SUV for nine hours, reported the Richland County Sheriff's Department.

Brayden and Bryson McDaniel were found by one of their parents in a car parked outside of their daycare center, the Sunshine House Early Learning Academy, in Blythewood, South Carolina.

Coroner Nadia Rutherford said the boys likely died of heatstroke after being accidentally left in the car by one of their parents. The exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed, Rutherford said at a press conference on Thursday.

Kids and Car Safety told The State the temperature inside the car could have been as high as 120 degrees.

According to Rutherford, the boys appeared to be healthy and taken care of by their family prior to their deaths.
Exams of their bodies found no signs of abuse or neglect along with one lung abnormality that requires further testing.

"If this is an unfortunate accident, we pray that the family one day finds peace," Rutherford said. "We have two very distraught parents."

The Richland County Sheriff's Department is currently investigating the boys' deaths to figure out the timeline of the incident.

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