Children found in van said doing well

ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Two children found in a sealed van in Abbotsford, British Columbia, were in good condition in Ministry of Children and Families custody, police said Saturday.

Constable Ian MacDonald said a woman who alerted police may have saved the children's lives. He said police were on routine patrol at the Abbotsford Agrifair when the woman told them the children -- a 2-year-old and a 4-month-old -- were in the van for hours while the father was drinking at a saloon.

Police found the van locked and all the windows closed, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

"They were extremely distressed, as you can imagine. They're still awake and they're in a locked vehicle probably with strange surroundings … they had soiled their diapers and they were extremely dehydrated," MacDonald said.

British Columbia is experiencing a heat wave and the temperature was very high even at night.

A witness told the CBC the engine of the van was cold when the children were found.

The children were checked out at a local hospital and found to be dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition. Police said the father had not yet been charged.