Bentley: Boy who died after being trapped in car boot in Mooroopna identified

The family of a boy who died after becoming trapped in a car boot in sweltering heat has revealed the tragedy was the result of a game of hide and seek gone wrong.

Tributes are flowing for 10-year-old “shining star” Bentley who died on Sunday at a home in Mooroopna, near Shepparton in Victoria.

Bentley’s mother reportedly discovered her son in the car. It is not known how long he was in the boot before he was found.

Emergency services were called to the home at 3.20pm. It is believed the boy, who is from Cobram, may have suffered a cardiac arrest, with temperatures rising to 35.5C on the day.

Bentley’s aunt Lainey Sutton said December 15 would “forever be the day that we pause for a moment to remember our inquisitive, car loving, Minecraft enthusiastic, neurodiverse 10 yr (sic.) old Bentley,” she wrote.

“In a tragic end to a game of hide and seek, our world stopped.

“As a family, our hearts are broken as we try to find some sense in a place that no longer feels whole.”

In a heartbreaking twist, Lainey revealed the incident comes just two weeks after Bentley’s grandmother died.

Another on Bentley’s aunts, Steph Sutton, has taken to social media to express her devastation.

“Bentley, you are the shining star in all of our lives. Your smile is infectious, your laughter contagious, and you (sic.) sense of uncanny adventure is courageous.

“Our dear darling boy, Aunty Steph is struggling to comprehend what the future without you is going to be like, but I promise you that no matter what, people will always remember you. You made one hell of a noise coming into this world, and boy have you made one on your way out.

“We love you, we miss you, make sure you say hi to grandma for us.

“The loss of Bentley has been nothing short of an absolute tragedy, and we hope that you can see through the misconceptions, rumours and assumptions made within the media.”

Lainey Sutton has launched a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of the family.

“As you could understand, the heartache and costs of dealing with the loss of one family member is numbing, let alone losing a second in such a short time frame,” she wrote.

“We understand that this time of the year can be financially and emotionally difficult for anyone. It is with heavy hearts that we ask for financial support to help us give our precious Bentley the send off he deserves.”

Neighbours told the Herald Sun it was a distressing scene, with one woman saying a blood-curdling scream alerted her to the tragedy.

She said all the car’s doors and boot were open and other children had seen what happened.

“I feel sorry for those kids, it was terrible,” the neighbour said.

Victoria Police said a report would be prepared for the Coroner.

“The death is not believed to be suspicious and the circumstances surrounding the death are still being established,” a police spokesperson said.