Daily Express

Girl, 2, fights for life after 40ft fall from her bedroom

- By News Reporter

A GIRL of two was in hospital with life-threatenin­g injuries last night after falling 40ft from her thirdfloor bedroom window.

The girl, named locally as Lara Coleman, was airlifted to hospital from outside the block of flats where she lives with her parents and brother.

Neighbours reported hearing a “massive thud” at 6pm on Thursday and said the girl’s fall was broken by a metal telephone junction box on the street below.

Emma Reilly, 31, who lives in one of the flats in Portsmouth, said Lara’s bed was close to the window and “had she not hit that box, she would have died, for sure”.

Thud

Lara’s mum Fran was in the bath when her daughter fell, according to neighbours, while the little girl’s dad Steve ran outside to her aid.

Hampshire Police said officers were investigat­ing at the scene.

Emma said: “I heard a massive thud from outside and at first I thought someone had been run over. But when I looked down from my window I could see the baby.

“I shouted down to her mum because she had obviously been in the bath and had a towel around her head. She came to the window to see what the commotion was.

“I shouted, ‘That’s your baby, that’s your baby!’ I think her husband had legged it downstairs at the point.”

Emma added: “It was horrible to see. Lara is such a lovely and sweet little girl, always so happy and smiling.” Her parents, whose son is aged eight, are keeping a vigil at her hospital bedside.

Another neighbour, Karen Marsh, 54, said she helped Fran, adding: “She was in total shock, she was hysterical. I told her to gather some clothes for the hospital.

“That poor woman, it’s truly dreadful. “She kept asking, ‘Is she going to be OK?’”

Five-storey Mulberry House was taped off by police after the incident and reopened yesterday.

A force spokeswoma­n said: “The girl suffered life-threatenin­g injuries and was airlifted to hospital. We are making inquiries into the exact circumstan­ces.”

 ??  ?? Flats from where the girl fell
Flats from where the girl fell

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