In a remarkable incident in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, a three-year-old boy survived an 18-storey fall from his apartment window, a fall that would have been fatal without the unexpected cushioning of a tree. The incident happened on July 15 when the child woke from his nap and went to the bathroom. Due to the absence of window restrictors and safety grilles, the boy accidentally fell from the window.
His father, Mr Zhu, initially found it hard to believe his son had fallen from such a height until security footage from the residential community confirmed the fall. The boy sustained multiple injuries, including a fractured left arm, spinal strain, and damage to several internal organs. Fortunately, his head was unharmed, and he remained conscious throughout.
Mr Zhu believes the child’s fall was slowed and redirected by colliding with a nearby window on a lower floor before landing in the branches of a tree below. This cushioning effect from the tree branches, which were partially broken upon impact, likely saved the boy’s life. The boy also suffered scratches consistent with the tree branches breaking his fall.
Similar incidents in China have raised concerns about window safety in high-rise buildings, particularly regarding the importance of installing window restrictors and grilles to prevent young children from falling. In one comparable case last year in Lanzhou, a three-year-old girl survived a fall from the 18th floor but suffered severe injuries requiring emergency treatment.
Currently, the boy is recovering steadily, and his family has expressed profound gratitude for the ‘tree rescue’ that saved him. They even hung red ribbons on the tree as a token of thanks. This extraordinary event highlights the critical need for better safety measures in residential buildings to protect children.