A two-year-old boy in Russia was the center of a tragedy when he ended up falling down an elevator shaft. But thanks to some quick thinking by the father and an immediate trip to the doctor, the boy ended up surviving.
According to People, the residents of the apartment block in Voronezh, Russia had been complaining that the elevator had exhibited mechanical issues in multiple ways, but the management had reportedly never done anything about it. The worst part is the building is actually relatively new in the area.
A video obtained by MSN showed exactly how the accident occurred. Through a black-and-white surveillance video, you can clearly see the parents of the two-year-old standing behind him as they wait for the elevator to reach their floor. But then suddenly the boy approaches the door of the elevator due to a mixture of curiosity and a dash of the terrible twos, and when he pushes the door, he ends up falling inside the elevator. Reportedly, he experienced a 6-foot drop. The dad dove in immediately after him and was able to pull him out.
A previous case in Russia had a parent who had left her newborn unattended, only for her other child, a 5-year-old, to throw her out of the window from four floors up to the unfortunate death of the newborn. Although these two stories are only tangentially related, the mother was reportedly charged with negligence and partially held accountable for the harmed child. It’ll be interesting to check whether the Russian legal authorities also charge the owner of this building and determine whether the faulty elevator is another example of child endangerment.
The child ultimately went on to only suffer minor injuries and is now well on their way to recovery. As we’ve seen before when it comes to survival — especially when it’s people who can’t help themselves that have been harmed — immediate response is usually what ends up saving lives in situations such as this. People have even gone on to survive after driving headfirst into a ravine as long as the first people who saw them intervened and ensured that they got emergency help.
During probably the most talked-about mayoral races in recent history in New York City, one of the recurring topics ended up being how people living in rentals deserve more robust protections. Owing to the recent global economy where, with the transition in tech models, most demographics have ended up struggling with making ends meet, ultimately the focus went more on finding ways to ensure people can just afford their rent.
However, another thing that was mentioned but ultimately escaped the watchful eyes of most voters was plans on ensuring the building owners regularly maintain their buildings. It’s not just a Russian or New York City issue, it’s a global one. Landlords need to ensure that residents who get housing through monthly rent can rest assured without constantly worrying about the safety of people in their buildings. And if the enforcement is lax, issues like this will continue to dominate the news. But thankfully, here, the debate is being had as the 2-year-old boy is alive and well. Luck may not be so generous next time.
