MIAMI (WSVN) - A toddler survived a fall from the fourth floor of an apartment building in Miami, police said.
Officials said a 2-year-old girl fell from a window near Southwest 20th Avenue and Eighth Street, just after 7:30 a.m., Monday.
7News cameras captured the toddler in the back of an ambulance in front of the building.
Grainy surveillance video showed City of Miami Police and Fire Rescue unts responding to the scene.
“When the first unit arrived, they found a 2-year-old female who apparently fell from the window of a fourth floor apartment unit,” said City of Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll. “They found this child being cuddled by her uncle, and we are being told that she fell out of a window.
Officials said a palm tree below the window helped break the girl’s fall, and she fell into surrounding shrubs.
“It is believed that she was spared significant injuries because of a palm tree that sits, pretty much, below this window,” said Carroll. “The impact of hitting the palm tree actually guided her toward the shrubs that was on the grassy area, which provided for a more softer fall than actually striking the pavement.”
The toddler was alert and crying when emergency crews took her to Ryder Trauma Center as a precaution.
It remains unclear what led to her fall, but police believe the fall was accidental.
“Our investigators are talking to family members to see if there was any negligence, what exactly occurred,” said Miami Police Cmdr. Freddie Cruz. “At this moment, it seems like it was just an accident.”
It was an accident that, investigators said, could have had a tragic outcome.
“It’s a miracle, and that’s the only word that I can use for what occurred today, that this child is going to be OK,” said Cruz.
Police said the incident serves as a reminder to parents to keep an eye on their younger children, because something like this can happen in seconds.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.