Toddler falls 20 feet out of apartment window

The window that the toddler fell from after removing the screen.

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Story Published: May 10, 2008 at 11:38 AM PDT

Story Updated: May 10, 2008 at 4:31 PM PDT

By KOMO Staff

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SEATTLE - A toddler plunged from a second-story apartment window to the ground 20 feet below Saturday morning, but appeared to suffer no major injuries in the fall, medics said.

The little boy's father said he may have been saved by landing in a patch of soft dirt only inches away from a cement walkway.

The incident happened at about 9:50 a.m. in the 9000 block of Seward Park Avenue South, near Lake Washington.

The toddler's father, Chris Ruffin, told KOMO News that he left the room where 21-month-old Chris Ruffin Jr. was playing for only a minute or two.

Chris Ruffin, father of toddler Chris Ruffin Jr., leaves for the hospital with his second son, Cincere, in his arm. Cincere was about to follow his brother out the window when Ruffin caught him in time.

When he returned to the room, he saw that the screen was pushed out of the window and realized the youngster had somehow unlatched the screen and plunged to the ground 20 feet below.

Looking down out the window, Ruffin saw the little boy was trying to get up and walk, but having difficulty.

Then dad saw that the toddler's 10-month-old baby brother, Cincere Ruffin, was about to crawl out of the window after him. The father grabbed the 10-month-old before he could tumble off the ledge.

Ruffin rushed down to the toddler, who had landed on a patch of dirt just a few inches from a cement walkway.

"I jumped down all these steps and out the door," he said.

Ruffin brought Chris Jr. upstairs to look at him and discovered that his knee was scraped and swollen, so he called 911.

Arriving at the scene, medics were amazed to discover that Chris Jr. appeared not to have any major injuries from the fall, although he may have fractured one leg, Ruffin said.

"They said, 'Wow. His pulse is OK. His eyes are OK.' ... They wrapped a towel around his neck to be sure and took him away," Ruffin said.

The toddler was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Ruffin said he and his wife will now barricade the window so that the boys can't get out of it. And he advised all parents to make sure their upper-floor windows have kid-proof locks on them.

For tips on how to baby-proof your home, visit these web sites:

http://www.parenthood.com/article-topics/article-topics.php?Article_ID=2122

http://www.webmd.com/content/tools/1/slide_baby_proof

http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bsafety/0,,b4qs,00.html