RUMFORD, Maine — Local police are investigating the events that led to two toddlers falling from a second-story window Monday afternoon in Rumford.
Few details were available about the case Monday night from the Police Department. Capt. Glenn Prescott, a supervisor for MedCare in Rumford, confirmed ambulance crews were dispatched to a residence on Cumberland Street at 3:30 p.m.
Prescott said two siblings, a 2-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl, fell out a second story window. The two were transported to Rumford Hospital with what appeared to be injuries that were not life threatening.
An officer with the police department said Monday night that he did not have any details about the case.
Prescott said the children’s parent had put them down for a nap and thought they were sleeping when the accident occurred.
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Cumberland St….the Ohio St. of Rumford.
Stole the words right out of my mouth!
at that age they almost need 24 hr surveillance systems.
Or the parents could use a little common sense. I’m betting that the bottom window was up instead of the top of the window being down. This was totally a preventable accident. I hope both the little ones heal quickly and that the parents learn a valuable lesson.
yes , it could very well be the case.
Not all open from the top, old ones get painted shut and cheaper new ones are single hung…
With summer coming we should all be reminded that this type of tradgey can happen around the pool or at a lake. I know of a lady who lost a young child that was thought to be sleeping in a camp. The child got out of the crib and found his way to the water and drowned. It happens in seconds.
The article did not state anything about the mother, so how do you know she needs help?
If the kids can fall out an open window , then perhaps screens
or grids may be of use in containing the toddlers.
And the mother might need some help installing these basic safety devices.
Seeing as she hasnt done it yet.
Thats what I was referring to.
What were you thinking?
This article says plenty about the mother.
No mention of Dad , however.
I hope the whole family will be OK.
Most people do not install anything on their windows, and from your comment, it seems you think that is the reason this happened to her children. This could have happened to anyone, it was just a terrible accident.
If the windows had secure grids or the travel of the window up
and down was limited would the kids have fallen out??
As a responsible parent one needs to take many steps to ” Childproof” a house.
Put drugs and sharp objects away from little ones grasp.
Put safety tabs in unused electrical outlets.
Put matches and cleansers/poisons in secure locations.
Install device to limit the travel up and down of windows.
The list goes on and the vigilance never stops.
Contact DHHS for more tips on childproofing.
Thank you.
Have a nice day.
2 toddlers leaning against a screen in a window can easily knock it out. Ive had a cat go out through one trying to catch bugs on the other side.
I missed the part about the toddlers pushing out the screen.
Where did you read that. Share please.
I hope your cat is OK.
Prescott said the children’s parent had put them down for a nap and thought they were sleeping when the accident occurred. I don’t see anywhere that it says the “mother” was at fault. Please don’t jump to conclusions until we know more details. Thank you.
Window guards people!!!!!!
http://www.overstock.com/Baby/Window-Guardian-Super-Stopper-for-Windows-and-Doors/5949948/product.html?cid=202290&kid=9553000357392&track=pspla&adtype=pla&kw={keyword}
Lemmings?
im glad i don’t have kids
so are we….things happen…
awful
awful
Since everyone is assuming. 2 children/toddlers leaning up against a screen sash is more than enough for it to pop out. If both fell out at the same time, then most likely they were both leaning against it. It can happen to anyone.
Furthermore, whats to say the top sash wasnt the one open and they managed to climb? However unlikely, alot of windows only have a screen on the bottom portion of the window
Sad for the little ones. I’m sure that the parents are as horrified as the rest of us. Little ones are quick and can do in an instant what it takes adults to do in minutes. Let’s not “blame” anyone for this accident. Heal quickly little ones.
No, why blame adults when little kids somehow have access to a window they can open (or it was already open). Nobody is every at fault.
This accident is all too common and tragic. One of the national news shows did a segment on the issue last year.If you remember, Eric Clapton’s son fell from a high rise apartment window a number of years ago. What would your comment have been if these were the children of a prominent heart surgeon? What help would that family need?
Take a breath. And a chill pill, please.
Do you simpletons read as much into every comment on this lame site
as you read into mine ??
Just because you did not not understand my point.
Even after I clarified it for you?
Was Eric Claptons son 3 years old??
Did Claptons window have screens or grids for safety?
My comment as to a ” prominent heart surgeon”(???) would be the same.
Tragic. Poor kid/family.
What help would they need?
Grief counselor, perhaps.
Studies indicate that the loss of a child is one of the hardest
types of loss anyone can face.
http://www.overstock.com/Baby/Window-Guardian-Super-Stopper-for-Windows-and-Doors/5949948/product.html?cid=202290&kid=9553000357392&track=pspla&adtype=pla&kw={keyword}
We use these FABULOUS window and door stoppers at our home.
Thanks for the tip
This is so Sad. I do feel bad for the parent(s). They live in an apartment Which means that they need to get the landlord(s) permission to put any safety devices in place. We went through hell and back to get a chain lock on the front door of our apartment. Our son has learning disabilities and was known to get up at night. We placed a bell on a string over his door to hear when he left his room. I will tell you 2 yrs old are quick. We had pressure gates all over that apartment. They do no damage. Our Apt looked like a pressure gate prison. Windows are dangerous but it is the last safety concern . Unless you grew up in a cement basement, windows are part of every day lives.
I thought there was some regulations when renting apartments to people with children that the landlord had to put some kind of safety thing on the windows so this could not happen.
This is all I could find on Land Lords responsibility :LANDLORD RESPONSIBILITIES: Provide habitable housing. This means the house or apartment must comply with all building, housing, and health codes which significantly affect health and safety.
Windows : Those designed to open must open and have a permanent lock attached (sticks and thumbscrews are not accepted as locking devices). The windowpanes must not be broken or cracked. Screen are required on all opening windows. The windows should not be obstructed. TYPICALLY, BASEMENT ROOMS used as BEDROOMS are illegal. WINDOWS ARE A MEANS OF ESCAPE IN A FIRE and A MEANS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO ENTER.
It appears there is no law requiring Land Lords to put child safety devices on windows.
Sorry About The Caps. That is the way it copied.
My kids once disappeared while I was washing dishes. They were the same ages, 2 and 3. They’d awakened from napping and decided to open the door and go over to the neighbors. I had no idea that they could open the door! I hope these little ones heal quickly, and I hope their parents are not too shaken.
No details yet? I hope it had noting to do with fowl play or negligence.
I am quite sure the birds have been ruled out.
Yikes! So glad to hear they will be okay.
It’s ironic because just the other day when I opened my glass window I was noting the warning on the screen. It said something to the effect of “Warning, screen is intended for bug control. Does not provide security or retention of things on the interior..”
‘Current event:
Infants falling out of windows’ is actually quite common in the US now. It has been going on for about two decades in the rest of the country. There were be dozens [plural of dozens is not a typo] of such incidents this Spring in the country. They seem to happen in the Spring.
fact:
Howie Carr was once reprimanded by his employer when he read a email form a listener that said ‘babies falling out of windows’ is the first sign of Spring.
history :
Also, most are welfare babies. About 15 years ago, welfare mothers in Boston were blaming the city for the babies falling out of window epidemic , and petitioning the city to buy window guards for housing complexes. The city did just that, the city spend millions of dollars buying window guards for all the welfare housing complexes. Babies falling out of windows, went down. But from time to time, babies still fall out of windows…because mothers took the window guards off the windows.
My original post was as follows:
Tragic. Poor kids.
I hope these most vulnerable members of society will be OK and
the mother can get the help she needs.
There , now was my post really that bad that it needed to be flagged??
I offered empathy and sympathy for the family and the best this site can do
is flag it !! Huh ??
I think some of the readers need a hobby , besides waiting for the sky to fall.
And the “moderators ” to check with a superior before hitting the (pavlov) panic button.
Good luck to all.