A mother and her newborn baby have died after being found unresponsive in a hotel room. The tragedy happened at the Leicester City Centre Travelodge on Thursday afternoon (March 24).
Police said the baby had just been delivered in a hotel room and was taken with their mother to hospital where they were pronounced dead shortly after arrival, Leicestershire Live reports. Their deaths are not being treated as suspicious but as unexplained.
A spokeswoman for Leicestershire Police said: "Officers were called by East Midlands Ambulance Service shortly before 3pm yesterday afternoon (March 24) to a hotel in the Haymarket Shopping Centre, Leicester. The call was made following a new born baby, who had just been delivered in a hotel room, and that the mother and child were unresponsive.
"Officers attended the scene and both were taken to hospital where sadly they were pronounced deceased shortly after arrival. The deaths are not being treated as suspicious, but unexplained, while further inquiries are being carried out."
The mother and child were taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary after being found in the hotel room in the city's Haymarket Shopping Centre. Several ambulances rushed to the scene after the alarm was raised by hotel staff and arrived shortly before 3pm.
A shopper returning to his car after a trip into the city centre said he witnessed part of the tragedy unfold as medics fought to save the mother and baby - administering CPR to them there on the rooftop car park. "It has to be the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen," he said.
"It was all over in about half-an-hour," said the eyewitness. "I just stood their in shock thinking did what I just saw really happen. It was so upsetting and I was just hoping and praying they would be okay."
A spokesperson for Travelodge said: "We are extremely saddened by this incident. Our priority now is to support the police with their inquiries and our thoughts are with the guest's family."
