• Sweden edition

Six-year-old survives seven storey fall

Published: 5 Sep 09 06:46 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/21898/20090905/

A six-year-old boy survived a fall from a seventh floor apartment in Gothenburg on Friday evening, due in part to the actions of a quick-thinking passerby.

According to police spokesperson Pia Goksöyr, two officers were on patrol near the building, located on Brunnsbotorget on the island of Hisingen, when they saw the boy dangling from a window as they approached the building.

One of the officers then rushed into the building and up the stairs to the apartment in an effort to reach the boy before he fell.

“He ran to the window, but when he got there it was too late,” Goksöyr told the TT news agency.

“The boy had already fallen.”

But before the boy hit the ground, his fall was partially broken by a man who attempted the catch him, reducing the boy’s injuries and possibly saving his life.

“There was a man who saw the boy hanging from the window and tried to catch him,” said Goksöyr.

“The man succeeded in partially catching him.”

The boy was taken to Sahlgrenska University Hospital and is now being cared for at Sahlgrenska’s Queen Silvia Children´s Hospital in Gothenburg.

His condition is serious, but stable, according to the hospital.

“His condition isn’t life threatening,” said hospital spokesperson Göran Samuelsson to TT.

Police are investigating the matter as a tragic accident and have no suspicions that a crime was committed.

“It may be that the boy shut himself in his room to be by himself and the parents outside the door in the apartment were unaware of what had happened,” said Goksöyr.

TT/David Landes (news@thelocal.se)

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07:12 September 5, 2009 by I Love it when ...
wow ... hope he gets better soon
08:32 September 5, 2009 by Mucker
What a hero that passer-by is. He deserves a medal
08:41 September 5, 2009 by Brtahan
Yeah he should get a medal he and his friend!!! and the stupied parents should be scolded.
15:20 September 5, 2009 by Brugge
Scolded for what? I'm sure they've learned their lesson.
19:06 September 5, 2009 by the pigeon hunter
i'm with brugge on that one. accidents happen. i mean the boy was 6 years old and not a toddler which has to be watched all the time.
21:30 September 5, 2009 by Ahlindra
No, not a toddler. But at 6, should you really be allowed to lock your self into your room, with a key on the inside?

According to other media, the boy locked himself in his room to play the X-box, a normal occurrence for them apparently.

Then when he wanted to come out, he couldn't unlock his door, and it was while his father went around in the apartment looking for another key to unlock the door from his side that the boy climbed out the window.

IMO not a shining example of responsible parenting, but yeah, the whole thing is probably "punishment" enough.
15:21 September 6, 2009 by Per Johansson52
Point noted

100 of children felt down from Balcony but nothing has happened to them. I have seen four kids falling down infront of my eyes . but they just walked back home.

The God's Angel safe these kids actually it is always miracle.
18:21 September 6, 2009 by "green Swede"
A real hero,this man,who possibly put is own life on the line,trying to catch a six yr old from seven stories high.
15:35 September 7, 2009 by DamnImmigrant
What happened to the HERO?

Normally the person trying to do the catching gets rather badly injured because of the forces involved!
00:38 September 8, 2009 by lingonberrie
A six year old is not supposed to be left alone at any time.

I question his guardian, parents, or whomever was in charge of him for their neglect.

A similar event happened a month or so ago with a three year old. What is going on with those who are supposedly in charge of the children?
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