Police had to break the window of a car to rescue a man who had passed out in his car after drinking Sunday in Cavendish.

RCMP Sgt. Leanne Butler said police believe a man in his early 20s decided to sleep in his car overnight after attending the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, but couldn't be roused the next morning.

"I believe that they probably passed out in the vehicle maybe from drinking, but they were unconscious and unable to be woken up because of extreme heat in the vehicle. One probably led to the other," she said.

Man 'could have died'

Butler said the police had no choice but to break the glass.

"It doesn't take very long for a person to die in a hot car," she said. "That was the situation yesterday. The person could have died because it was very, very hot. And when we got there it was in a critical time, and I believe that if they had been in the vehicle much longer they may not have made it."

She said most adults will instinctively step out a car if it gets too hot, but children, dogs, people having medical emergencies and intoxicated people are all at risk as the temperature rises.

Butler said Island EMS took the man to hospital.