The tale of a boy who fell from a fourth-storey window of an Abbotsford apartment building on Saturday afternoon has a "happy ending, bordering on a miracle," said Const. Ian MacDonald.
The day after the accident, the eight-year-old was recovering from bruises and some minor damage to his spleen. He did not suffer any broken bones, despite initial beliefs that he had.
MacDonald said, as of this morning (Monday), the boy was still in the hospital but was likely to be released later today.
"He was watching TV and was eating and was anxious to get out of hospital," he said of the last update he received on the boy's condition.
The incident occurred at about 1:45 p.m. Saturday in the 33800 block of East Bourquin Cres.
MacDonald said the boy and his two sisters – ages nine and 11 – were receiving tutoring from two teenagers at the time of the incident. Their mother left briefly to run some errands.
The boy decided to take a break and began jumping on furniture in his bedroom, leaping onto a ledge, not realizing that someone had opened the window. As he leaned against the window screen for support, it gave way.
MacDonald said the boy missed hitting the top of a concrete wall or the concrete pad below. Instead, he landed on a 2 x 6 piece of wood that was propped up against the wall at a 45-degree angle.
This then propelled him onto an area of dirt and grass.
When emergency crews arrived on the scene, the boy was conscious and was able to relate what had happened.
He was airlifted from Abbotsford Regional Hospital to a Vancouver area trauma centre.
MacDonald said the boy's recovery is a huge relief to his family and the emergency responders on scene.
