Child in critical condition after falling from window
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PORTLAND, Ore. – A five-year-old boy fell from the second story of a Portland home on Friday afternoon and landed on concrete below.
A LifeFlight helicopter landed in a nearby cul-de-sac to bring the child to the hospital, a Portland Fire and Rescue spokesman said.
The fall happened at a house on Ash Court off of Skyline Blvd.
Neighbors said the child fell from a window above the front door. Firefighters said the boy was playing when he apparently managed to open a window.
Firefighters decided to call in a helicopter instead of trying to battle Friday afternoon traffic in an ambulance.
"I came home from work, our road was shut off and everything," said neighbor Eugene Rakhlin. "I stood on my back deck and watched the chopper land here. It's something else. I've heard about things like this happening on the news recently but I never really thought it'd happen in our neighborhood."
The child is in critical condition with significant head injuries, according to Portland Fire and Rescue.
This is the fourth case of a child falling through a window this week alone. On Wednesday afternoon, two children at different homes in Clackamas County fell through windows with screens.
On Monday night, a 4-year-old boy was injured when he fell from the second floor onto concrete below.
These falls are preventable, according to safety experts.
Legacy Health has a website with tips to keep your kids safe. They offer the following tips:
- Keep play away from windows.
- Only allow windows to open 4 inches, and install window stops and/or window guards that can be removed by an adult in an emergency.
- Lock windows when not in use.
- Open windows from the top and use a window stop for the bottom.
- Prevent climbing. Keep furniture and anything a child can climb on away from windows.
- Actively watch children near windows.
"We tend to see an influx of these types of incidents every year in the spring time. They mostly occur in children from two to six with the younger ones falling from a bed and the older ones usually climbing onto something near the window," said Lt. Justin de Ruyter with Portland Fire and Rescue. "Most of these can be easily prevented by installing some simple hardware to keep the windows from opening fully."
Heck We were raised on a farm, we had bulls, horses, tractors, trucks, hay bails, powered rakes , bailers, and a massive TD14 cat, and 2 motorcycles. We also had 2 bb guns, 2 rifles, and a hand gun. And we survived? What is different about us being kids back in the 70's then kids of today? Lack of common sense practices by parents. that is what.
oh and I forgot to mention a Friend by the name of Larry Quick that allowed my Brother and I to fly with him in a chopper nothing like adding a set of rotors spinning about to make for an interesting day? We were taught not to approach the chopper until signaled to do so failure meant a beating we wouldn't forget and viewing of "Hamburger Bob." or what ever that safety video was ..it was intnelsy graphic.
@lee986321 I know, I was out side at age 10, using my dads weed wacker, with harness and cutting down black berries. He came outside to see who was using it and saw me and was shocked. The thing was so much bigger then me. He asked me how I could use such a thing. I told him well we live on a farm. You have been working outside all day, it is still light out and I figured I would go out and help you. I started getting to he more equipment after that. We learned young too how to fire a .22. I remember playing in the lower pasture in the apple grove until dark and coming back up dirty as heck, with our sheep dog Ollie. Ahhh the good ole days the 70's and 80's.
This family will have a child with TBI , it could have been prevented. It makes no matter if you have money or not, things like this can be prevented. I just happen to have my camera running when I caught our son at play and it was indeed revealing.
If you can afford a three car garage you can afford to childproof your home. Locks, bars,whatever it takes.
Remember why the song "Tears In Heaven" was written...
 @skyeye I agree Im low income and I always had window locks on all upstairs windows....They aint that expensive lol. But come on parents protect your kids!!!!
Seems like an epidemic the past few years. Part of the blame has to go to young children being raised (babysat) by the television and  video games instead of being raised by their parents. Sure, parents can get distracted. But hopefully it wasn't by a cell phone or the TV.Â
 @last boyscout ahh that is why my children never fell out the windows. i always played games and finger painted and did things like that with them. My youngest daughter 9, still follows me around. with Daddy driving long haul, she sleeps next to mommy and our dog.
 @maramorai Mom managed to raise all five of us boys with no sprains or broken bones. Plenty of azz spankings from dad though. We always knew we had it coming. As for the non spankers, we were kids, we weren't stupid. We knew the outcome of our actions. We owe everything to our parents.Â
It's so extra horrifying to know they fell onto concrete. Also the photo of the house puts things into perspective and makes me acknowledge a prejudice I didn't realize I had: I imagine lower-income homes when I hear of these tragedies - families stressed and overwhelmed by poverty, too much work, not enough time or resources to deal with everyday safety issues. I found the photo of this house shocking, but I guess I shouldn't have.
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Please, please recover little one.
 @gofigure Good point, no ones immune to something like this. Hope the kids OK.
Okay, my children range in age from between 16-9. We have lived have lived in homes with two stories. NEVER, did any of my children try and fall or push out screens. they all knew better.The first time my youngest when she was not quite two got out of bed in the middle of the night and went outside and played in the sand box, we caught her. We were up the rest of the night and Daddy first thing went and got special pin locks. I do not understand why all these children are falling out windows.
 @maramorai It only takes one time. Maybe that was the first time the window was unlocked or the kid learned how it worked. Maybe the safety lock was removed and accidentally forgotten, or perhaps they didn't have one. Unless you know the family, and even then, it's hard to judge someones life outside their own. I'm sure they will have every single window locked and secured here on out, and it's sad that this is what it took, but lets wish the child well and keep protecting our kids.Â