A dad has issued an urgent warning after his son fell down a manhole and had to be taken to hospital.
Ryan O'Neill, wife Lyndsey and his three children, from Norris Green, had not long arrived at a holiday park they were staying at this weekend when little Jake, three, fell into the manhole next to the accommodation they were staying in. The 30-year-old claims the manhole cover was "insecure" and was "bent" and when Jake ran over it as he chased his football, he fell in.
The dad-of-three said he had to take Jake to hospital to be checked over as he was told by people on site it was a sewage drain. He said the manhole was around "5ft deep." The three-year-old suffered grazes to his chin, arms, legs and was bruised following the incident. Ryan wants to warn others "to avoid it happening again to anyone else."
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He told the ECHO: "The manhole cover wasn't on properly and it was bent. Someone said it looked like a van or lawnmower had gone over it and dislodged it. The girls said Jake has gone across it and its moved and he's fell in. It wasn't on properly and wasn't secured down.
"He's gone to chase his football and went across it and as he's ran, its moved and he's fell in." Ryan said the family had not long arrived to where they were staying when the terrifying ordeal happened.
He added: "We were getting the bags out the car and all the sudden the girls were screaming and I turned around as the girls were screaming and shouted 'where is your brother?' They pointed at this manhole and I ran over and went on the floor and the baby is stuck in this manhole. I lifted him out and gave him cuddle.
"He's been looked over and they just said keep an eye on him in case he gets worse or come back because he could have head a bump to the head. But he's covered in bruises and grazes.
"I don't know how it wasn't any worse because the hole is quite deep. About 5ft because I am 6ft and I was lying down on the grass and I had to push myself into the hole to reach down for him because it was quite deep."
The 30-year-old said Jake has recently been diagnosed with autism and the incident has had a great impact on him. He added the family had come away for a break and to process the diagnosis, but this has "sort of ruined things" and the family just "wanted to go home.
Ryan said: "If it was any other kid he they would be alright with it but he has been diagnosed with autism, so he doesn't process things, so it was a bit harder for him. All night he was waking up screaming and stuff.
"His sisters are traumatised by because we were in the hospital when my wife Lyndsey took Jake to see the burse, the girls went to me 'dad me and Rosie thought Jake was gone forever'. No child should say that whatsoever, never mind six or seven years of age."
The dad-of-three claims there was no signage near to the manhole and raised his concerns with the manager and security on the holiday park.
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