Seaton death: Family reveals five-year-old Adelaide girl died from suspected asthma attack

The family of a five-year-old girl who died after being found unresponsive at an Adelaide home say they are “in shock,” revealing the cause of death of the “playful, happy” child was a suspected asthma attack.

Anthony Wanganeen, the girl’s great-uncle, told The Advertiser her death had devastated the family and they were all “just in shock that she’s gone”.

“There’s no way you’d expect a five-year-old girl to die of asthma,” he told the Adelaide paper.

Mr Wanganeen said his niece had suffered from the health condition for some time but was like “any other little kid”, describing her as “playful and happy”.

Emergency services rushed to the home on Ballater Avenue in Seaton about 4pm Wednesday after receiving reports a five-year-old girl was suffering a possible cardiac arrest.

A 13-year-old boy, Jabar Stanikzai, called triple-zero after hearing screams on the quiet suburban street.

“I could hear a man screaming, I could hear him all the way from the street down,” he told The Advertiser.

“When I came closer to the man, I could see that he was holding a child — a little girl — in his arms and she was limp, not moving or anything and he was yelling her name I think.

“When he saw me, he shouted at me to call the ambulance so I ran to the phone booth on the street and called the ambulance.”

SA Police said the five-year-old was “initially treated at the scene” before being taken to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

But she was unable to be saved despite paramedics’ efforts.

It is understood the parents of the child are assisting with inquiries and there is no implication that they are involved in the death.

Police are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the course of the investigation.

No arrests have been made and a report is being prepared for the coroner.