Partly fatal drama

A child falls out of a window every month

(Bild: Tatyana A. - takas/stock.adobe.com)

A four-year-old boy fell from a balcony in Vöcklabruck, plummeting six meters. Fortunately, his life is no longer in danger and he will soon be able to return home. Unfortunately, this accident is not an isolated case, as a look at the statistics shows.

An unobserved moment is often all it takes for a serious accident to happen. This is what happened on Tuesday in Vöcklabruck when a four-year-old boy opened the balcony door, climbed onto an armchair and then fell six meters. The boy fell onto a patch of grass in front of the house, which probably spared him more serious injuries.

Transferred to a normal ward
After a night in the intensive care unit, the boy was transferred to the normal ward on Wednesday. According to the Vöcklabruck hospital, he should be able to return home in the next few days.

Mother and stepfather were out for a walk
However, such window or balcony falls do not always end in a happy ending. It was only in March of this year that five-year-old Dominik fell from an unsecured window in Linz's Industriezeile and suffered fatal injuries. His mother and stepfather were out for a walk at the time of the tragedy. They were later sentenced to ten years in prison each for negligence.

Two fatal falls this year
"The recent accident in Upper Austria once again highlights how dangerous falls from windows or balconies are for children. This year, ten serious accidents have already occurred throughout Austria, in which two children were even fatally injured. Unfortunately, this also represents a significant increase on the previous year," says Johanna Trauner-Karner, Head of Division at the Austrian Road Safety Board (KFV). This means that one child fell from a great height every four weeks.

Window locks strongly recommended
In households where children live, all windows and balcony doors should therefore be fitted with window locks. Lockable child safety handles are best suited - these can also be tilted for ventilation when locked. Cat or fly screens, on the other hand, are not suitable as a protective measure, as they can give way or tear under pressure, according to the KFV.