Child critically injured in Stittsville balcony fall
A fourth-floor fall Wednesday has renewed police warnings about window and balcony safety as warmer weather brings open windows.
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A child was taken to hospital Wednesday with critical injuries after falling from a fourth-floor balcony near Abbott Street in Stittsville. Paramedics arrived around 5:20 p.m. and transported the child in life-threatening condition.
The incident is one of three high-rise falls involving young children the Ottawa Police Service has responded to over the past month. Police say these events underscore how quickly and unexpectedly falls can occur.
With temperatures rising and residents opening windows and balcony doors, police are urging families to take precautions: install child-proof window locks or guards, keep furniture and beds away from windows and railings, limit unsupervised balcony access, and regularly check that locks and safety devices function properly. Police also warn that window screens are designed only to keep insects out—they won't prevent falls.
"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this heartbreaking incident," police said in a statement. The department is asking caregivers to have age-appropriate conversations with children about the dangers of windows, screens, and balconies.