Boy, 3, plunges to death from top-floor flat

By SHÂN ROSS
Published on 04/08/2012 00:00

A BOY aged three has died after falling out of a top-floor window in a block of flats.

The tragedy has shocked his family, who had just brought home a baby daughter, their third child, and “devastated” the local community.

Police and ambulance services were called to flats in the Charleston area of Dundee at about 2:30pm yesterday.

The boy was taken to Ninewells hospital but died shortly after being admitted.

It is understood he was the middle child of three, with an older sister and the baby who was born just over a week ago.

A police spokesman said: “Tayside Police were called to Denhead Crescent shortly after 2:30pm where a three-year-old boy was found to have sustained a serious head injury.

“He was taken by ambulance to Ninewells Hospital where he sadly died.

“Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full set of circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Neighbours were attempting to comfort the family last night.

Alan Ross, the SNP councillor for Lochee, who lives directly below the family’s flat in the three-storey building, said everyone in the area had been “devastated” by what happened.

“I’ve been speaking to the family throughout the day seeing if there’s anything we can do to help,” he said.

“It’s a huge tragedy and such a shock.

“We know the family and always spoke to them when we passed them on the stair or the street.

“We were at home when it happened and got to the scene very quickly.”

Another local resident said: “It seems to have been a horrible, horrible accident. We didn’t hear or see anything, but all of a sudden there was a commotion and the ambulance and police were here. It is awful to think this could happen to a child so young.”

Tributes were being paid on Twitter last night.

Ali coote @ali_coote10 wrote: “Sad to hear a wee boy from Dundee fell out a flat and died today, horrible to hear.”

It was unclear exactly how the tragedy happened.

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said it could not comment on individual cases but added that ensuring young children were safe around windows was a vital issue.

“Firstly, we offer our condolences to the family and friends of the child involved in this tragedy today,” he said.

“Generally speaking, it is very important, especially for children under five years of age, that supervision is paramount. They have to be watched because they are very inquisitive and like to climb.

“We recommend that parents and children remove furniture they can use to climb over into window spaces.

“Most importantly, we advise fitting window restrictors which are simple devices and easy to fit. They allow fresh air in but will not let anyone through the gap.”

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said: “An ambulance was sent to the scene and paramedics gave emergency first-aid treatment. The child was then taken by ambulance to hospital.”