10-year-old Bentley dies in car boot on Gange St, Mooroopna

A 10-year-old Cobram boy who died in a car boot while playing hide and seek will be remembered for his “intelligent and inquisitive” nature, his family says.

10-year-old Cobram boy Bentley died in tragic circumstances on Sunday when he became stuck in the boot of a car during a game of hide and seek.

The young boy who tragically died after becoming stuck in a car boot in Mooroopna loved cars and technology and wanted to become a YouTube creator when he grew up.

Bentley, from Cobram, who was visiting friends with his mother, took a pair of keys and climbed into a car boot on Sunday afternoon.

A short time later, the 10-year-old’s mum noticed the keys missing and immediately went to the car where she discovered her son, trapped in the boot.

It’s understood he suffered a cardiac arrest in the boot of the car.

Bentley had an obsession with cars and technology, also loving the Los Angeles Lakers, the video game Minecraft and watching YouTube.

Bentley’s aunty Steph Sutton says “people will always remember” Bentley.

The Cobram & District Specialist School student also loved anything bright and colourful.

Bentley’s aunty, Steph Sutton, said her autistic nephew was a “shining star” with contagious laughter and an “infectious smile”.

Ms Sutton told the Herald Sun Bentley was “very intelligent and inquisitive” about the world around him, with a real sense of adventure.

“You made one hell of a noise coming into this world, and boy have you made one on your way out,” Ms Sutton said.

“People will always remember you … Our worlds are broken,” she said.

“You touched the lives of so many people.”

Bentley was a much-loved student at Cobram & District Specialist School. Picture: Facebook

Lainey Sutton, another aunt who has organised a fundraiser to support his family, described the youngster as “inquisitive, car loving, Minecraft enthusiastic and neurodiverse”.

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

The tragedy came just two weeks after the family lost Bentley’s grandmother.

The temperature in Shepparton on Sunday was 35.5C.

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A neighbour in the Mooroopna street, who was inside at the time, heard a bloodcurdling scream from down the road about 3.30pm.

When she rushed out to help, another neighbour told her “don’t go over there”.

She said all the car’s doors and boot were open and other children saw what happened in an “incredibly distressing” scene.

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

Bentley became trapped in a car boot at Gange St, Mooroopna on December 15. Picture: Oscar Jaeger

Another neighbour told the Herald Sun it was “very sad” especially in the lead-up to Christmas.

“Kids in cars is not a good mix,” the neighbour said.

A young man who lives a few doors down said he had been in Cobram for the day and returned to find detectives and SES at the scene.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said it was likely a cardiac event with emergency services attending the scene and performing CPR.

A police spokeswoman told the Herald Sun the death was not being treated as suspicious and the circumstances surrounding the death would continue to be investigated.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.