Toddler Dies in Fall From Balcony

http://www.abcnews.go.com ^ | March 3 2002 | The Associated Press

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Toddler Dies in Fall From Atlanta Hotel Balcony; Boy Slipped Through Railing, Police Say
The Associated Press

A T L A N T A, March 3 —

A 20-month-old boy died Sunday when he fell five stories from a hotel balcony in downtown Atlanta, police said.

Hunter Neal apparently wandered out on the ninth-floor balcony of his family's room at the Omni Hotel and slipped through the railings, Atlanta police spokesman John Quigley said.

The toddler fell onto a fourth-story roof, police said. He died at a hospital.

"He got out on the balcony through the door that was left ajar," Quigley said.

Quigley said charges are pending but would not elaborate.

Police did not immediately release the names of Hunter's parents.

Troy Schroeder, area managing director for Omni Hotels, referred questions to police.

"All the pieces haven't been put together yet," Schroeder said.

[savedbygrace]

"All the pieces haven't been put together yet," Schroeder said.

An unfortunate choice of words, wouldn't you say?

[SamAdams76]

When my two sons were babies, we had to put a gate up on the staircase so that they wouldn't fall down the stairs in the middle of the night. Babies just don't know any better. Didn't Eric Clapton's kid die this way too?

[VRWC_minion]

For all the times my children just missed being hurt but by the grace of God, your comment is repugnant to me.

[riley1992]

I understand what you are saying, I think all of us with children have thanked God for the avoidance of horrid accidents but I have to say my first thought upon reading this was that when my children were 20 months old, they were never out of my sight for a moment at home, let alone in a foreign place.

[BrooklynGOP]

Let's ban all the balconies to make sure that this doesn't happen again.

[putupon]

Its the GOP's fault for letting evil corporations build hotels with too large a clearance in railing pickets in order to save the rich people building costs.

[VRWC_minion]

We don't know all the facts. Here is an example of something that happened to me while visiting a tower once. Our family was climbing a circular staircase where the center was open to the ground. I was carrying one of our children who was probably around 2 years old. At one point he flung himself backwards and I lost my grip. I was just barely able to grab him again. A fraction of a second in reaction time and my son would have been killed.

That is only one of probably dozens of times in raising my four children where a bad accident was averted within fractions of seconds.

[FITZ]

I think parents tend to view this differently than non-parents. We've all been there and seen some close-misses. Non parents don't know how quick a child can be. I never dared get a balcony room with my kids. I've even decided hotels and motels are all too risky (or dirty) in some way and now I go to KOA camps instead.

[VRWC_minion]

I know its tough to explain. This issue has come up before and it seems for the most part that both non-parents and brand new parents are the ones who take the automatic view the parents are negligent. Whenever my children get hurt I can count a dozen things I could have done differently.

Trying to control the environment is the most effective tool but even that is not fool proof. I just hope that when the self-righteous critics have to face their own "oops" that its not a life threatening event.

[Antoninus II]

A child is dead, and its parents probably were not watching. That is enough for me.

You'd make a great jurist....

[Antoninus II]

DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN?

[riley1992]

"This issue has come up before and it seems for the most part that both non-parents and brand new parents are the ones who take the automatic view the parents are negligent."

I am neither a non-parent or a new parent but I can tell you again, I have never left a 20 month old unattended in a hotel room. Period.

[biggerten]

Oh my God! Somebody call a lawyer!!

[Osinski]

Macattack is a 22 year old expert on parenting who doesn't want any children.

[VRWC_minion]

I have never left a 20 month old unattended in a hotel room. Period.

Neither have I. How do you know the child was left alone ?