A four-year-old boy was in a serious but stable condition in hospital after falling from a balcony at the Cresta shopping centre in Northcliff, said Johannesburg paramedics on Sunday.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Nick Dollman said the incident occurred on the first level of the complex near several restaurants on Saturday night.
”When paramedics arrived, they found that the boy had fallen approximately 6m to 8m and had possibly landed on his head or face.
”He was screaming and appeared to be overwhelmed by the crowd that had gathered [around him], and the paramedics administered medication to sedate him,” said Dollman.
A man had tried to catch the boy but failed. ”The man was not able to hold on to him, but his efforts appeared to have broken the victim’s fall and reduced the impact with the hard, tiled floor,” Dollman said.
It was not known what caused the boy’s fall.
He was taken to the Netcare Garden City hospital. — Sapa