Boy (2) remains critically ill after sixth-floor balcony fall

A two-year-old boy remains in a critically ill condition in hospital on Monday after falling from the top-floor balcony of a hotel in Limerick this weekend.

The boy, who is from Farranshone in Limerick city, fell from the sixth floor of the Strand Hotel shortly before 1pm on Saturday.

It is understood the toddler had been with his family at a coffee morning organised by a local residents’ association when he wandered off.

The gathering was held on the ground floor but it is understood the boy made his way into a lift and managed to reach the sixth floor where he climbed out on to a balcony and fell 20m.

A frantic search was launched within seconds of his parents noticing he had gone missing. “It seems he went straight into the lift and somehow managed to get to the sixth floor where he got out on to a balcony and climbed out on to the hotel sign from where he tragically fell,” said one source.

Some eyewitnesses took to social media where they described witnessing the toddler fall.

It is understood the boy’s fall was broken by a table on an outside seated terrace area. He was initially cared for at the scene by a doctor who was in a nearby hair salon.

Limerick Fianna Fáil TD Willie O'Dea, who happened to be walking past the hotel minutes after the tragic incident, said it was an unspeakable tragedy.

“Everyone was in a complete state of shock and our thoughts and prayers are with this little boy’s family.”

Shocking

“I really hope this child makes a full recovery. It is an unspeakable tragedy and certainly something which has cast a shadow over our side of the city. It was an awful shocking thing to happen, especially for those who witnessed it,” he added.

The boy, understood to be the youngest of three children, was initially taken to University Hospital Limerick, but later transferred to Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin where his parents are keeping a bedside vigil.

Local Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan, who lives in Farranshone, said everyone’s thoughts were with the family.

“We had the St Mary’s Community festival today [Sunday], and everyone was talking about it, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Strand Hotel said their thoughts and prayers were with the injured boy’s family and said the hotel was working closely with gardaí and local authorities to establish how the accident occurred.