This is very sad but needs to be read

[KristiKelly]

Last week my aunt & uncle were at the beach and came back telling us this story, in another condo complex a dad was playing with his 18 month old son, mom was in the shower & grandmother was there also. Dad & g'mother turned their backs for about 15 seconds and the little boy went out on the balcony, climbed in a chair and fell 6 stories down, unfortunately this baby died. This is such a sad story, but I felt it needed to be shared. Please be sure to always have the balcony doors closed & locked and make sure all tables & chairs are pulled away from the railing. I have always pulled the chairs & tables back and am really firm with my kids NEVER to stand in them, DH would say that I was paranoid, but this goes to show you can never be to safe. I'm sorry to put such a damper on your day, but this needs to be told and passed along as a warning to all parents, grandparents or any caregivers of children. Also, keep in mind, this could also apply to pets. Thanks for listening.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

Oh that is so sad and tragic. thanks for the awareness.

 

[browneyes]

That reminds me of Eric Clapton's son. He wrote the song Tears in Heaven about his young son that fell out of a window of the mom's apartment or hotel room.

It just takes a second, especially with toddlers, for tragedy to strike. I'll pray for this family.

 

[shep]

 

[snoopy]

My kids were climbers when they were toddlers, so the FIRST thing I did whenever we went somewhere with a balcony was bolt lock the balcony doors. I always had a huge fear of this same scenario happening. My heart goes out to those people.

 

[dizneenut]

How sad.

 

[holycow]

 

[DoeWDW]

It's a very tragic story but thanks for the reminder.

 

[Trish Bessette]

Awful sad. Thanks for reminding everyone to keep their children safe.

 

[RitaZ.]

That's so tragic.

I agree that one can't be too careful about balcony doors and I'm going to add windows on upper floors.

When my older DS was about 18 months, we used to live in a townhouse. One January, the weather was nice and cool and I decided to open all the windows on the second floor, including DS's bedroom window. I was in the kitchen, when it hit me that I couldn't hear him playing; that silence that lets parents know that something is wrong. I went into his bedroom and there he was sticking his upper body out the open window... I quietly went behind him and grabbed him. Who knows what could have happened... DS had pushed his toy box over to the window, stood on it, pushed the screen out and just leaned out the window.

I never imagined that he was capable of doing those things and that was the last time that I left open windows on the second floor.

 

[PandyPaws]

How very tragic sad, indeed

A very BIG fear of mine! Although my children are not toddlers...but when they were younger, during our stays at the Dolphin, I ALWAYS pulled in the furniture from the balcony and stacked it in the corner of the room, for this very reason. Even as they got older, I still stacked the chairs and pulled them up against the building. They were also NEVER to go out there without me, even for a second. We always watched Illuminations from the open balcony door, with feet planted firmly on carpet, inside the doorway. Perhaps a little overdone (older DS always rolled his eyes at me) , but I always figured overdone on the safe-side is best in these kind of situations.

 

[Dan Murphy]

How sad, and a good reminder, never can be safe enough.

Donna, where are the boys allowed to sit in the safari truck?

 

[Feralpeg]

I hate hotel balconies. I really don't think they should have them. A friend of mine's teenage son tried jumping from one to another because his friend was staying in the next room. He fell 8 stories and died. I know it was a stupid thing to do, but kids do stupid things. I always wonder how safe they are to just stand on. Some of them don't appear to be in great shape.

 

[piglet too]

 

[mom2boys]

Sad story for all involved.

My little brother came to visit me at college when he was 5. Being only 19, I was nieve. I allowed him on the balcony alone. The only 2 things out there were a bicylce and 5 gallon bucket. He turned the bucket over and was standing on it hanging over teh 8th story balcony. I quickly grabbed him & brought him in.

A friend's son fell out a second story window when he was 2. He just leaned up against the screen. Miraculously he wasn't seriously injured. He is now 6 yrs old & in my son's cub scout pack. Everytime I look at that child I get a chill thinking about how he could have had lasting injuries or worse.

 

[Hillbeans]

On my 2nd floor, I never open the windows greater than the size of my son's head for the exact same reason. It's scary stuff, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

When in FLA, my son was NOT allowed on the balcony without both of us there and we locked the balcony doors when we went inside. You can never be too careful.

 

[Big V]

A very sad story.

 

[Feralpeg]

When DD was 2 she leaned against the screen on the front of our house. It gave way and she fell out onto the porch. Fortunately, it was only a couple of feet. She did, however, cut her head open and had to have 5 staples in the back of her head. Another time, the cat leaned on the window and the screen gave way. I was pulling out of the driveway and looked up to see her standing on the edge of the lower roof. After these incidents, I stopped opening the windows. Screens just aren't what they used to be.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

We were talking about that at work. My boss knows the family!