A grieving father has spoken out after his twin daughters were found dead in the backseat of a hot car.
Norman Police Department responded to a call for a welfare check in Norman, Oklahoma, on Thursday (5 September).
When officers arrived in the neighborhood near West Brooks St. and Flood Ave. at approximately 3pm local time, they found a car stopped in the street.
Upon further inspection, they found the unresponsive bodies of two-year-old twins Ariel and Avery, who had been accidentally left inside the vehicle for 'an extended period'.
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News 4 reports the twins' parents had left them with a trusted family member, who was supposed to drop the girls off at daycare.
However, that family member apparently forget and before they realized the children were in a boiling hot car, it was too late.
Temperatures reached a staggering 90F on the day Ariel and Avery were left.
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Their dad, who was at work when he was contacted by the police to be informed about the tragic news, has now spoken out.
Marshall Suter told the Daily Mail: "I didn’t know anything until 11:15pm on the 5th September and I was told in person by the police that they passed away. My heart's been a wreck ever since.
"They were loved by everyone in the family. They did everything together. From the hugs to the kisses to the laughs. Their love was the most pure I had ever felt. And I won’t be able to feel that again. Mom and dad love their baby girls.
"No day will ever be the same. Our hearts are shattered. Losing a child might have be the hardest thing ever, and I lost two. I don’t think I’ll ever be okay again."
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Many tributes have flocked in for Ariel and Avery following their tragic passing, while the family ask for privacy during this time.
Another family member told KFOR: "This is truly tragic and has been very hard on the family involved especially where hateful comments are concerned. I hope this will at least show people that it wasn’t intentional and truly an accident. This family would just like some peace in this difficult and heavy time."
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs has since been set up by Kourtnee Usey, the cousin of Marshall Suter.
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"All funds will be used to give these precious little babies the funeral they deserve, and take some weight off of this father’s shoulders after dealing with such a tragic and HEARTBREAKING loss," the family relative wrote.
An investigation into the twins' deaths is ongoing.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.
Callum Jones