Boy, 22 months, dies after fall from third-floor balcony in Caldas da Rainha
A 22-month-old boy died on 8 August after falling from a third-floor balcony in the Avenal neighbourhood of Caldas da Rainha, Portugal. Emergency teams attempted resuscitation and helicoptered the child to Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon, but he did not survive.
The incident
A boy aged 1 year and 10 months (22 months) fell from a balcony with a marquise on the third floor of a residential building in the Bairro do Avenal, Caldas da Rainha, on the morning of Saturday, 8 August. The alert was given at approximately 11:30 by a passerby who found the child lying on the ground. According to the PSP, the baby was at home with two older sisters at the time. The circumstances of the fall remain under investigation, and it is not known whether an adult was present.
The building's configuration means the floor from which the child fell is equivalent to a fourth floor, as the structure has shops and an elevated ground floor. Nelson Cruz, commander of the Bombeiros das Caldas, told JN the child fell from a height of between 12 and 15 metres, landing on his head. The commander of the Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command of Oeste, David Santos, confirmed the child would be helitransported to Lisbon by INEM. The fall was described as equivalent to about three storeys.
Emergency response
Firefighters from the Bombeiros Voluntários das Caldas da Rainha, a VMER (emergency medical and resuscitation vehicle), and PSP patrols were dispatched to the scene. Rescue teams performed resuscitation manoeuvres at the location. The child had severe craniocerebral trauma and was unconscious but breathing.
The child had a very severe craniocerebral trauma and was unconscious, but was breathing. We stabilised the boy, together with the VMER team from Caldas da Rainha, and took him to our ambulance, which transported him to the rugby field, where the INEM helicopter from Viseu had landed. He was flown to Hospital de Santa Maria in a very critical condition.
The INEM helicopter from Viseu landed at a rugby field near the scene, where the child was transferred from the ambulance for the flight to Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon. The operation involved coordination between local firefighters, the VMER team, and INEM's air rescue service.
- Alert given after passerby finds child on ground in Avenal, Caldas da Rainha
- Firefighters, VMER and PSP arrive; resuscitation attempted on child with severe head trauma
- Child stabilised, taken by ambulance to rugby field, then flown by INEM helicopter to Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon
- Child dies; SAPO reports death at scene, JN reports death on arrival at hospital
Conflicting accounts of the outcome
Sources disagree on where the child died. JN reported that the child was helicoptered to Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon but died on arrival at that unit, citing Nelson Cruz. However, SAPO, in a later article published at 16:23, reported that death was declared at the scene by the medical team, after resuscitation efforts failed due to the violent impact causing injuries incompatible with life. The earlier SAPO article, published at 14:42, had reported the child would be helitransported to Lisbon, and the Observador article at 15:40 described the baby as gravely injured.
The child's body was subsequently sent to the Gabinete Médico-Legal for an autopsy.
Investigation and family support
The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) was informed and has taken over the investigation to determine the causes and sequence of events leading to the fall. The area was secured by security forces to allow technical examinations. According to JN, rescue workers and authorities at the scene did not notice the presence of the child's parents or other family members. The PSP confirmed that the parents have since been contacted. A team of psychologists from INEM was activated to provide specialised support to the family.
