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2-year-old boy falls from 3rd-floor apartment during eclipse

39 Comments

A 2-year-old boy is in a critical condition in hospital after falling from the window of a 3rd-floor apartment in Tokyo during the eclipse on Monday morning.

Police said they received a call from a local resident just after 7:30 a.m. reporting that a boy was lying on the ground in front of a 5-story apartment building in Ota Ward, TBS reported.

The boy was taken to hospital and remains in a coma, police said.

The boy's bedroom window faces the east and police believe he may have been watching the eclipse when he fell out the window, TBS reported.

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39 Comments
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He is only 2. I seriously doubt he was watching the eclipse, at least not of his own volition.

Poor boy. Where are his parents? I hope he makes a full recovery.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Because if the adults let alone the government had a shred of common sense they would instal or pass law that all highrise buildings must have child proof locks or guarding on windows and balconies

What are you talking about? This is the governments fault??? You mean this kind of tragedy couldnt have happened in other countries??? Some people just can`t wait to apportion blame without the full details of what actually happened and come up with some absolutely arrant nonsense to justify it.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The boy’s bedroom window faces the east and police believe he may have been watching the eclipse when he fell out the window, TBS reported.

Seriously??? I don't know what I find more ridiculous, the parents for giving a 2 year-old access to an open window or the J-cops comment about the eclipse.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

I totally doubt he was was watching the eclipse too. His parents probably were instead of watching him.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Kidding me! 2 years old boy maybe watching eclipse. Do he really know what is eclipse? I believe this boy is left alone in the room with the window wide open.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Boy falls from the balcony at 7:30am, people are out watching the eclipse. Who is to say that the local resident didn't see the boy fall? The parents could have told the police that they were watching the eclipse.

You can fill in the blanks in this story to make it as innocent or as suspicious as you like. Without the full report we'll never know. I know some people want the parents to be careless or absent as it gives them a chance to gnash their teeth and froth at the mouth as they, once again, tar all Japanese parents with the same brush.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If the boy was really watching the eclipse as stated then the parents are stupid for leaving a 2 year old by himself at an open window. And the comment about the angle of the window gets added to the stupid list of today.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I would put money on the real story here being that the parents left him home alone and went out to watch the eclipse.

If it got dark and he glanced up at the sky, he would have been very curious about the ring of fire.

IF that was what had happened then maybe he would - but it barely got dark at all, just dull, and "ring of fire" is a huge exaggeration - you couldnt even see it unless you were looking through special glasses - hardly something a 2 year old lying in bed or in the house would have noticed.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

A 2 year old boy ? Did somebody pushed him out ?

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Seriously, I think police should begin investigating these "fallings" as possible murders. This happens far too many times for it to be an accident.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This is so sad. I wish they had a bit more detail. For all I know, the parents may have been just outside watching the eclipse while thinking their boy was still sound asleep...

My younger one slept through the whole event while I was with my other child that wanted to look at the facinating show. We were just outside our front door, and we don't have any windows to fall from, but I guess I was a bit careless. It only takes a few minutes for something terrible like this to happen.

Oh I hope he recovers!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I can imagine a scenario in which the child might have been looking at the eclipse. If it got dark and he glanced up at the sky, he would have been very curious about the ring of fire. Of course, he wouldn't know what it was but that strange object in the sky would hold his gaze and he might want to get a closer look by climbing onto the window sill.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It could also be possible he was in the arms of a parent looking out of the window, got bored, squirmed and fell from the parent's arms and out of the window. It could have happened...

We don't know any details... so talk of being left alone is a bit premature.

I hope the little boy recovers.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

A child's behavior is unpredictable. Common sense of adults don't apply.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Cletus

I meant common sense of adults don't apply to a child.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Cleo

I think I said that he may have been with his parents at the time (my comment at 3:41pm... )

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Again? Just no comments...........

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If he knew what he was watching at the age of two, then the kid is a genious. Did the police find those shades near him? I suspect that the parents were over zealous in trying to watch it and got caught up and panicked when he fell out, and didn't call it in.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

A two-year-old kid would never sit/stand to watch an eclipse without someone encouraging him or watching it with him. If the parents were with him why did they let him lean out the window (if that's what happened)? and if not, where were they?

Anyway, I hope the kid pulls through and has no permanent damage. I have to say I'm surprised we're not reading about MORE accidents.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

watching eclipse??? i dont know if a child that young would comprehend the hype that an eclipse would bring... and parents, i would definitely not allow my child to be in a room where he can climb a window without bars or whatever is that. come on, this news is like everyday... japan needs children

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Read the news this morning and 3 kids already died since saturday :( RIP i think i will ignore these news items from now on

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is becoming a weekly occurrence, Japanese parents. I'm seriously at a loss for words.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Thanks, Cletus! There is something about this story that just doesn't make sense. If a child was watching the eclipse, wouldn't special glasses be required to prevent damage to the eyes? I'm not a scientist but I have been hearing all week that special protective measures were necessary. It seems logical to think that if a child was watching the eclipse and that caused a fall from a window that his or her eyes would be damaged, doesn't it?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

billyshears That was what was needed - some sense of proportion. Thank you.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

On TV they said that the mother was in the room with him when it happened. Maybe they both were watching eclipse and she didn't notice when the boy fall.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

police believe he may have been watching the eclipse

A: as everyone who saw the eclipse knows, this police spokesperson clearly did not watch the eclipse (i.e. assumption like this is plain stupidity)

OR

B: this police spokesperson watched the eclipse on TV and assumes it was large, dark and orange like he saw on TV, and assumed this is what the child saw. (i.e. assumption like this is plain stupidity)

OR

C: he fell out of the open window by himself some how and it just happened to be today at about 7:30am (i.e. assumption like this is plain stupidity)

OR, most likely

D: there is more to this story than we have been told (example : other person was there watching with him, helped him to get near the open window and sadly he fell )

0 ( +0 / -0 )

OK, so the 2 year old was watching the eclipse - what was the rest of the family doing at the time? A local resident made a call about the child having fallen - not the parents??? How does a 2 year old get to an open window from which it is possible to fall to the ground? There's a lot of unanswered questions in this story.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"How does a 2 year old get to an open window from which it is possible to fall to the ground?" Excellent question. While the article doesn't say if the child is closer to two or three, I doubt very seriously the child opened the window by himself. There's a lot of unanswered questions in this story." Even better point. Why are the parents not mentioned like they are in almost every other article in which a child has been injured or killed? How did the police "know" a child was looking at the eclipse?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sad... hope the boy recovers!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

poor poor child... i am praying for you little buddy please make a full recovery. you haven't lived long enough yet

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And the unbelievable reality of this country is shown AGAIN. How many times does this have to happen until something is done. Have they ever heard of child proof locks???? Or parental supervision for that matter.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

CrazyJoe

A child's behavior is unpredictable.

Completely agree with your there

Common sense of adults don't apply.

Actually l disagree. Because if the adults let alone the government had a shred of common sense they would instal or pass law that all highrise buildings must have child proof locks or guarding on windows and balconies. The sad part is a childproof lock that allows the window to be partly opened to let air in but not enough to let the child fall out would set you back a whole Y500. Pretty cheap way to save this kid and the tens of others we hear about. Pity that the common sense isnt used for matters like this.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

what a bad month its been for kids in japan

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

" police believe he may have been watching the eclipse "

I should not be surprised about anything coming from the police anymore, but that takes the cake. A 2-year old watching the eclipse??? The stupidest police theory as yet.

More likely the parents were watching and forgot about the little one. Hope he makes it, and hope parents grow a brain.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I suppose this 2 year old read about the eclipse in the news paper, checked his watch and leaned out the window at the appropriate time?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The vernacular press is saying that it was the parents who called 119, and that the boy was watching the eclipse with his parents.

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/120521/dst12052112310007-n1.htm

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

My guess is that this poor little boy's parents must be either stupid? Lame? Imbeciles? Or perhaps all of the above?? I do hope this little guy pulls through!!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

2 year old watching the eclipse? Sounds odd. Bet this is just a coincidence with the time or one of his parents dropped him while watching eclipse

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

billyshears

What are you talking about? This is the governments fault??? You mean this kind of tragedy couldnt have happened in other countries??? Some people just can`t wait to apportion blame without the full details of what actually happened and come up with some absolutely arrant nonsense to justify it.

Billy, let me point this out nice and simply for you. If there is a spike in deaths on the road, then the government considers changes to the laws. In the 90's in Japan there was a spike in drowning deaths among children and the government changed the laws and we now have fences around pools and ponds. Now there seems to be a trend of more deaths from falls from high rises. Logic would say following the examples from JAPAN that have been given that a review of building codes and law should occur. Leaving this sort of thing up to the individual (parent, building owner) does not work hence in this case legislation is required. I dont know how expecting common sense from a government on a trend of accidental deaths is as you say arrogant, to me it is called logic.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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