Three-year-old boy in intensive care after falling from apartment in Rydułtowy
A three-year-old boy remains unconscious in intensive care in Katowice after falling from an upper-floor apartment in Rydułtowy on Tuesday, prompting a police and prosecutorial investigation.
Emergency response in Rydułtowy
Emergency services in the Silesian Voivodeship were mobilized at around 17:30 on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, following emergency calls from a multi-family residential building on Ofiar Terroru Street in Rydułtowy. The police dispatcher at the District Police Headquarters in Wodzisław Śląski directed patrol units to the scene alongside local fire crews and emergency medical personnel. Upon arrival, responders found that a three-year-old boy had fallen from an upper floor of the block and landed on a grassy lawn below. Paramedics conducted an immediate examination on the ground to stabilize the child and determined that his injuries required rapid air transport to a specialized pediatric trauma facility.
Medical evacuation to Katowice
Due to the severity of the boy's injuries, emergency responders requested assistance from the Polish Medical Air Rescue (Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe). A helicopter crew landed near the site of the accident and took over care of the child for the flight to the Upper Silesian Child Health Centre in Katowice. Justyna Sochacka, spokesperson for the air rescue service, confirmed the airlift operation.
A 3-year-old child in serious condition was taken by the LPR crew to the hospital.
Following admission to the specialized children's hospital in Katowice, physicians placed the boy in the intensive care unit. Medical staff confirmed on Wednesday morning that the child remained unconscious and in serious condition while undergoing intensive treatment.
- Emergency services receive notification of a child falling from a residential building on Ofiar Terroru Street.
- Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter transports the injured three-year-old to a specialist hospital in Katowice.
- Hospital confirms the boy remains in intensive care as police notify the family court and continue their inquiry.
Circumstances and conflicting reports
Police officers began interviewing potential witnesses and securing the apartment to establish how the child fell. Initial reports from local authorities contained varying accounts regarding the height and exit point, with some statements describing a fall from the fourth floor and others from the fifth floor. Early findings indicated that the boy had climbed onto a windowsill and fallen through an open window while his mother was temporarily looking away. Other accounts from officers indicated that the toddler walked out onto a balcony, climbed the exterior railing, and slipped over the edge. Staff Warrant Officer Małgorzata Koniarska of the Wodzisław Śląski police summarized the initial assessment.
Officers working at the scene preliminarily determined that the 3-year-old boy, during his mother's inattention, climbed onto the windowsill and then fell from the open window of the apartment.
Inquiries by police and family court
Officers tested the boy's mother with a breathalyzer at the scene and confirmed that she was sober. Investigators established that she was inside the home when the accident took place but was located in a different room. Police secured physical evidence around the residential block and urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the department. The District Police Headquarters in Wodzisław Śląski is conducting proceedings under prosecutorial supervision to determine whether the child was exposed to danger of loss of life or severe bodily harm. Police also confirmed that a formal notification regarding the incident will be submitted to the family court.
