9-Year-Old Survives Three Story Fall from Lake Buena Vista Resort Balcony

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on November 17, 2016

A family was enjoying a beautiful vacation at the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa on Thursday when something unexpected and heart-stopping occurred.  The family, which had traveled down from Michigan to enjoy the beautiful weather and sun of Lake Buena Vista, was packing up to go home.  All their bags had been loaded onto a luggage trolley and the family left the room and began to proceed to the front desk to check out.  Unbeknownst to the parents, one of the children, an unnamed 9-year-old, stayed behind in the room.  The parents quickly realized that not all their children were accounted for and one of the other family members was sent back to the room to retrieve the wayward youth.  

As they entered the room, the family member who returned did not see the 9-year-old.  Then they heard a scream.  The scream sounded as though it came from outside, and the member of the family rushed to the balcony, only vaguely registering that the door to the balcony was already open.  They reached the balcony, looked over the railing, and saw the child sprawled on the ground below.  The family’s room was on the third floor of the building, meaning that the child fell almost 30 feet before hitting the ground.  

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, first responders were quick to arrive at the scene.  They reached the child and were stunned to find that he was conscious and able to walk, although somewhat unsteadily.  Taking the proper precautions, the child was examined as well as could be expected at the initial scene.  A helicopter, probably called in by the first responders, arrived shortly afterwards and the child was whisked away to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.  His brother is said to be green with envy.  

As the child’s condition is increasingly stabilized more information will be available to those of us who don’t know the family but are for some reason still interested in the outcome of this situation.  Again, there is no reason to suspect or believe that the result will be anything but positive for the family, although it is unknown whether or not the child will experience untold complications as a result of this death-defying fall.    

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.