A 15-month-old child who fell from a four story hotel balcony on International Drive on Wednesday, appears to be unhurt, law enforcement officials said.
Orange County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the Econo Lodge Inn & Suites on 8638 International Drive just after 9:00 pm, in reference to a child that had fallen off a balcony.
According to the Incident Report, the child’s mother, 20-year-old Helena Myles, had left the 15-month-old child in the care of a friend, 20-year-old Dominique Holt in an adjacent room, when the child slipped out the room and went onto the 4th floor hotel balcony.
A British tourist, Helen Beard, 44, on holiday from England and who was in the pool area, observed the 15-month-old child hanging from the balcony and quickly ran over underneath the railing and observed the child fall from the 4th floor, the Report states. It is believed that the child struck the third floor railing as she fell.
Beard told investigators, she physically caught the child as she fell from the 4th floor balcony, but in the process, the child slipped from her arms and struck the ground. Beard picked up the child as other persons in the area called 9-1-1.
The child was transported to Arnold Palmer Hospital where staff said, she suffered no injuries, bruising or scratches and was in good health.
According to the Incident Report, the child “was playful, not crying and did not appear to be in any pain or discomfort.”
One could only speculate as to what the reaction might have been, had there been a different outcome to this child’s fall.
Just as well there was a good ending to this incident.
