Four-Year-Old Falls From Fifth Floor as Drunk Mother Opens Door Too Late

A four-year-old girl survived a fall from a fifth-floor balcony in Łomża on Sunday after a local shop worker and bystanders caught her with a blanket.

Surveillance Footage Captures the Fall

The incident occurred on Sunday, August 9, in a Łomża housing estate. According to security footage from the Perspektywa Housing Cooperative obtained by Polsat News, the child climbed onto the balustrade and then moved to the balcony of a neighboring, unoccupied apartment.

Shop Worker and Bystanders Catch the Child

The situation was noticed by a shop employee. As the girl did not respond to requests to get down from the barrier, the man, along with two other passersby, jumped onto the ground-floor terrace, hastily spread a blanket, and managed to catch the falling four-year-old. The fire department stated that three dispatched units did not arrive before the rescue operation concluded.

Mother Intoxicated and Father Abroad

The girl was transported to the hospital, where doctors describe her condition as very good. During the incident, concerned neighbors knocked on the apartment where the mother was staying, but she only opened the door after her daughter’s fall. Police arrival revealed she was under the influence of alcohol, with a test showing 0.7 permille, and the child’s father is currently abroad.

Pending Police Investigation and Potential Charges

The mother is currently accompanying her daughter at the hospital. Junior Inspector Karolina Wojciekian of the Łomża Municipal Police Headquarters reported that the woman will be questioned immediately after leaving the medical facility. Due to her special duty of care over the minor, investigators will likely classify the act as exposing her to the direct danger of loss of life or severe health damage, an offense carrying up to five years of imprisonment under Polish law.