LYNNWOOD, Wash., August 25, 2023—A toddler was seriously injured after falling out an open second-floor window at a Lynnwood apartment complex Friday afternoon.
South County Fire responded around 4:45 p.m. to the apartment in the 20900 block of 44th Ave.W. It appeared a screen on an open window gave way under the child’s weight and the boy fell about 15 feet onto a garden bed covered with landscape bark. Paramedics transported the boy to Harborview Medical Center. His injuries were serious, but did not appear to be life-threatening.
South County Fire offers these tips to prevent child window falls:
- Adult supervision is key. Unattended children run the greatest risk of falls and injuries, so the best first step is to watch children as they play.
- Screens are meant to keep bugs out, not children in. Screens can easily give way under a toddler’s weight.
- For crawlers and climbers, move chairs, cribs and other furniture away from windows.
- Install window locks or guards to prevent windows from opening more than 4 inches. Parents can order a free window lock from Snohomish County Safe Kids online at www.southsnofire.org/PreventWindowFalls. Window locks and guards can also be purchased at local hardware stores and online.
South County Fire provides fire and emergency medical services to nearly 300,000 residents of Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace and unincorporated southwest Snohomish County.
SOURCE: South County Fire Department
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
