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A four-year-old boy fall to his death from the balcony of his family’s 9th-floor apartment in Sapporo on Thursday.
According to police, the boy’s father called 119 at around 9:20 a.m. and said his son had fallen from their apartment in Shiroishi Ward, Sankei Shimbun reported. The boy was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police said the boy’s parents were both home at the time, but neither of them apparently noticed him go out onto the balcony. They told police they thought he was in his room.
© Japan Today
24 Comments
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starpunk
(**CORRECTION****)**
starpunkToday 11:13 am JST
Maybe so. This scenario occurs way too often, it happened to Eric Clapton's kid in 1990.
Or any floor for that manner. Most people don't survive falls from heights higher than 3 stories. And when I was a teenager, one of my classmates climbed a drain pipe up to the roof of our elementary school, it was two stories high. Two younger kids made to the rooftop before him, he fell back and got killed.
starpunk
Maybe so. This scenario occurs way too often, it happened to Eric Clapton's kid in 1990.
Or any floor for that manner. Most people don't survive falls from heights higher than 3 stories. And when I was a teenager, one of my classmates climbed a drain pipe up to the roof of our elementary school. Two younger kids made to the rooftop before him, he fell back and got killed.
Zaphod
Do the hustle
Totally agree. 4 years is a dangerous age.... they are very mobile and curious, but no common sense yet. Not a good idea to let them out of your sight, especially when you live on the 9th floor,
Mr Kipling
Why would anyone with small children choose to live next to a busy road or on the 9th floor? Why take the risk? It seems to me that the only thing many people care about when choosing where to live is "how far it is to the station".
Do the hustle
What’s the bet they had a table and chairs on the balcony for him to climb on? I used to live in a 7th floor apartment and was always in fear of one of my kids going over the railing. My Japanese wife wanted to put a table and chairs on the balcony for sunny breakfasts. She got quite angry when I refused to let her.
William Bjornson
The boy is gone from us, taken by chance and a young Human's natural curiosity. We must now mourn for his parents and their shattered lives as they try to find some way to live and have the strength and love to support each other through the worst horror any parent can, and does, continually fear from the moment they first hold their child... I doubt any of us can truly 'imagine' the depth of this agony. Rest in peace, Child, and may your parents eventually find a way to forgive themselves the, to them, unforgivable...
Strangerland
So sad. This poor family.
Strangerland
Finances.
Answered your mystery with a single word.
Fighto!
Awful news. Rest in Peace to the poor little boy. Condolences to the poor parents. Heartbreaking.
When we lived on the 8th floor (horrible being that high) we had netting to prevent pigeons getting onto our balcony. This, if reasonably strong, would definitely help minimize the chance of toddlers falling. Balconies are not always high enough.
Gobshite
I've said it before, I wouldn't live on the 9th floor with a pet cat, let alone a child. Live on the ground floor or if not possible, window locks are available.
This kind of story isn't new here, it isn't rocket science.
RIP kid
Rick.H
@ letsberealisticToday 07:31 pm JST
Oh! Get real will you!
Reprehensible comment!
Rick.H
When a toddler goes silent, you'd better go and find out what the child is up to -- right now!
Garthgoyle
It's impossible to put the blame on the architects of the building. Unless the windows are completely sealed, kids small can always find ways through.
The window is only 80cm high from the floor and the kid was 4 y/o, big enough to climb over a big TV on a stand.
Sad accident.
Mark
Tragic, Heartbreaking, and just unbelievable!!! RIP little boy, feel for the parents, i Just hope this was not a case were the parents were not looking out for the boy and just busy playing games or on a SM platform!!
Kiwikid
When I was 4 I was "helping" my grandfather turn over the garden to plant some spuds. He lent the shovel on the 6ft fence and turned around to grab the sead potatoes. When he turned back, I was gone. I'd climbed up the shovel handle, got over the fence and was playing with the neighbors dog.
To blame the parents or the building is just cruel. Accidents happen, I'm sorry for their loss. The "what ifs", must be keeping them awake.
NOMINATION
If you dislike the balcony railings for the safety of your children, you can either live elsewhere or more simply put a cheap child proof lock on the door.
rainyday
Its usually not a problem with the railings, but rather a problem with the fact that balconies here get cluttered with other climbable stuff. I suspect the main culprit are air conditioning units, my old apartment had one installed right next to the railing of our balcony and would have been easy for a 4 year old to climb up, from which all it would have taken is a loss of balance to fall over the top of the railing.
We moved out of that place when our son was 2 partly out of concern over that.
Pacific Saury
There is no such thing as a climb-proof balcony railing.
Eugene
Accidents happened, this is tragic and heartbreaking, but to beat up on the parents is cruel, I think they are beating up on themselves enough right now. Miscommunication, "I thought you were watching him." "I thought you were watching him."
To blame the building is ludicrous.
How about a little sympathy people!
Disco Biscuit
Why aren’t the balcony railings child climb proof like all other first world countries.
i’d be suing the apartment builder and local government building inspectorate for millions
make them change
unbelievable
UK9393
Happens too often. Parents thought they knew where a 4yr old was?
Pacific Saury
Tragic. I would go out of my mind.