Child critical after fall from window

The boy (3), whose family is Hungarian, fell out the window of his first-floor home, in the Granary Court apartment block in Edenderry, Co Offaly, about 11am yesterday.

A family friend told the Irish Independent the boy climbed onto a chair before the accident.

"He opened the window and he fell out.

"He fell from the first-floor of the apartment complex. He is a nice kid, he is always around playing," the friend said.

A passing motorist is understood to have come to boy's aid after witnessing the fall.

The man and the child's mother rushed the boy to a local medical centre where he was attended to by a doctor before an ambulance arrived.

A woman who was in the centre at the time said the child was rushed into the building.

"A woman came in and said a baby was after falling from a window and could they bring him in there," she said.

The witness, who asked not to be identified, said the child was conscious and moaning when he arrived.

The boy was removed by ambulance to Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin where his condition was described as critical.

Neighbours convened to update each other on news of the boy's condition last night.

Local councillor Noel Cribbin, who lives near the scene, expressed his sympathies with the boy's family and wished for a full recovery.

"The main thing at this point is that the child recovers. My thoughts are with his family at this time," Mr Cribbin said.

Gardaí in Edenderry have appealed for witnesses to contact Tullamore Garda Station on 057 93 27600.