Baby Olivia Ancelet who died after being left in a hot car in Earlwood celebrated her first birthday just weeks ago

The devasted parents of a baby girl who died after being left inside a hot car have spoken out to pay tribute to their “beautiful girl”.

Olivia Ancelet, 1, was found unresponsive in a car outside Jelly Beings Early Learning Centre in the Sydney suburb of Earlwood just after 5.30pm on Tuesday.

7NEWS.com.au understands her father Etienne Ancelet had turned up at the centre to collect his daughter only to be told he had never dropped her off.

He ran outside and discovered Olivia was still strapped in her baby capsule in the car.

Paramedics raced to Marana Rd but, despite their best efforts, Olivia died at the scene.

Speaking to media on Wednesday, Ancelet and his partner Kim Visconti said their daughter was a “sweet and beautiful baby” who was the light of their lives.

““We are humbled and grateful for the time we had her. We are devastated by what has unfolded,’ the couple told news.com.au.

“We will always cherish our time with our beautiful girl. She was loved by all that knew her.

“It is an unimaginable time of sorrow for us. We do not wish this on any parent.”

Locals and emergency crews were met with harrowing scenes as they arrived to Olivia unconscious and Ancelet screaming in distress.

Roy Gomes, who lives near the childcare centre, said he was alerted to the tragedy after hearing the father’s cries.

He ran to the scene and was among one of the first responders who gave Olivia CPR before paramedics arrived.

“It all happened so quick; he was screaming, the poor guy, he kept screaming ‘I killed my daughter’,” Gomes said.

“I didn’t sleep much last night; I can see the little baby’s face all night … she was just floppy, no life.

“It’s really shattering.”

In footage taken at the scene, Ancelet could be heard yelling “Kill me! Kill me!” and “F*** I can’t process this!” as he sat in the back of the ambulance.

He was taken to hospital suffering from shock.

Posts online paint Ancelet as a doting father who embraced the joys of being a first-time parent.

Soon after Olivia’s birth in December 2023, Ancelet shared a photo of him nursing his newborn daughter as her tiny hand wrapped around his index finger, with friends commenting how fantastic he would be as a dad.

Three months later, in March 2024, he shared a photo of him and Olivia napping together with his little girl fast asleep in his arms.

Alongside the image he wrote: “My most memorable birthday yet.”

In another post that month, he joked that his daughter had “officially passed her three-month probation period”.

“Despite her lack of experience, Olivia has added a youthful energy to the team,” he wrote.

“Her upbeat attitude has been indispensable during stressful late nights and we look forward to seeing what she can bring to the table with a little more guidance and a clean nappy.

“If you see Olivia around, be sure to say hi!

“Unless it’s naptime … then just be very, very quiet.”

In the comments, a friend quipped: “Keeping her then?”, with Ancelet responding: “Yeah, apparently it’s a long-term investment.”

In the hours after his daughter’s death, Ancelet changed his social media profile pictures to black tiles.

Police are still working to piece together the timeline of events leading up to Olivia being found in the vehicle.

Superintendent Christine McDonald said inquiries at this stage suggest the one-year-old was left inside the car for an “extended period of time” as temperatures soared to 30C on Tuesday.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.