Tragic Balcony Fall Kills American Toddler In Pattaya

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Tragic Balcony Fall Kills American Toddler in Pattaya

PATTAYA: -- An American toddler has died after tragically falling from a 10th floor balcony at the View Talay 2 Condominiums in Jomtien on Tuesday. The 4-year-old boy fell from the balcony after reportedly playing on chair placed in close proximity to the railing.

Pattaya, the 24th of August 2010: At approximately 6:30pm on Tuesday, Lieutenant Colonel Tarathep Toopanich (Pattaya Deputy Superintendent) was notified of a tragic accident involving a young foreign boy at the View Talay 2 Condominiums in Jomtien. A team of officers along with the Pattaya Memorial Hospital emergency team and Sawang Boriboon Foundation personnel were dispatched to the incident.

On arrival, medical officers rushed to the aid of the young boy, Master Michael Labadan Wolfe [4], an American national born in the Philippines, whose father, Mr. Brett James Wolfe [40] was found frantically trying to perform emergency resuscitation procedures.

Full story HERE

PATTAYA DAILY NEWS

-- 2010-08-25

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[gotlost]

Our hearts go out. RIP

[TheLaughingMan]

So awful...

[stevecm]

RIP Master Michael Labadan Wolfe, my sincere condolences to to Wolfe family.

[jackr]

Wife saw this on the news last night. As a parent of a toddler, I can't imagine what they're going through... must be absolutely mortified. RIP little one.

[WarpSpeed]

So sad and needless ...

[laurentbkk]

What a tragic accident , just remember how much we have to watch kids all the time. Sorry for his father too .

[MSingh]

Horrific, my heart goes out to them all..RIP Little Fella..

[warfie]

I am in tears.

RIP young man.

Heartfelt condolences to the parents and anyone else who knew the little guy.

I wish I could say more, but nothing I can think of feels good enough.

reason for edit: can't see straight through the tears....

Edited August 25, 2010 by warfie

[canuckamuck]

Very sorry to hear this news

Edited August 25, 2010 by canuckamuck

[Travel2003]

OMG, this is heart breaking.

It always breaks my heart when youngsters are taken away.

[rotary]

Gosh very bad. I feel for the father & family

[g00dgirl]

A google search for the boys name came up with a news article from 2 years ago, his toddler was abducted by a nanny in the US

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0229amberalert0229.html?&wired

Here is another Thai article with another photo of the current event

http://www.patrolnews.net/?p=31241

It is heartbreaking.

[rugbyjacks]

This is so sad.

I clicked on the link and had no idea that it would show pictures of the father trying to resuscitate his son.

My heart goes out to him. It must be so awful.

We're about to have a baby and I just can't begin to imagine how it must feel to lose a child like this.

RIP Michael.

x

[mads]

r.i.p little guy

[CNF55]

What a tragedy. This is so unbelievably sad.

"Tears in Heaven' by Clapton comes to mind. My condolences to the family.

[bkkjames]

Devastated I am. So saddening.

Note to parents - if you havent done so, safety proof your balcony. My lil one managed to get out on ours one day and there is enough gaps between the railings for you know what.

Don't know why I didnt realise it before, but immediately went and purchased web screening.

RIP lil guy.

[DagonKhan]

I could have done without the pictures. Truly awful. RIP.

[Boater]

very sad indeed , RIP to the little fellow

i have just watched the video, how heartbreaking, even after the rescue team stop he carried on CPR himself to bring his little boy back

Edited August 25, 2010 by Boater

[RedNIvar]

RIP, it is heart breaking to see someone so young and innocent meet their end in such a tragic manner. My heart goes to to the family at this sad time.

[Englander]

I met this guy on a visa run a few months back and we got on really well he seemed like a genuinely decent guy who happened to be raising his kid by himself.

As ive a new born we had a good chat about kids and he seemed content to be where he was and loved talking about his lad.

An absolute tragedy and heartbreaking to see those pictures where he is continuing to try and resuscitate his little lad.

[Tigs]

I have a three year old. I cried watching the Video on the link. I don't know how the father will ever cope. I am so sorry for the whole family. RIP little one.

[angiud]

IMO would be more appropriate don't show the picture in the post #1.

Thanks for the attention.

May the young boy R.I.P.

[animatic]

So sad.

It only takes a moment of inattention with toddlers for tragedy, and life is always a mares nest of distractions.

It has happened for all the history of mankind. But it never loses it's shock and sadness no matter the times,

something like this happens. Just one more instance of the human condition, but always a very personal one.

RIP lil Mike.

My condolences to the grieving family.

[Arjay]

Tragic my prayers to the boy. Don't know the circumstances but, I keep a watchful eye on my Shih Tzu dog let alone I child.

[Boater]

I met this guy on a visa run a few months back and we got on really well he seemed like a genuinely decent guy who happened to be raising his kid by himself.

As ive a new born we had a good chat about kids and he seemed content to be where he was and loved talking about his lad.

An absolute tragedy and heartbreaking to see those pictures where he is continuing to try and resuscitate his little lad.

i just hope he is offered alot of support by surronding friends, i could not imagine what he must be going through...

[Englander]

I met this guy on a visa run a few months back and we got on really well he seemed like a genuinely decent guy who happened to be raising his kid by himself.

As ive a new born we had a good chat about kids and he seemed content to be where he was and loved talking about his lad.

An absolute tragedy and heartbreaking to see those pictures where he is continuing to try and resuscitate his little lad.

i just hope he is offered alot of support by surronding friends, i could not imagine what he must be going through...

I looked at the link about about his boys nanny a couple of years ago and its definitely him.

Im truly gutted for the man, and hope one day he can be grateful to have known his boy for just a few years, though nobody knows how to live your life after such a tragedy.

RIP Little lad.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Englander

[Jingthing]

This is indeed horrific news. Yes, balconies do need to be child-proofed but don't forget the poor design of the balconies to begin with. BTW, View Talay 2-A or 2-B?

Update -- I determined it was Building B from a Thai language news source.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Jingthing

[sirchai]

Our hearts go out. RIP

I'm so sorry to hear that. My tears can't bring him back. RIP.

[andytime]

An absolute tragedy and nothing can be done to bring the poor little Mike back nor settle his family. Yet another tragic loss of life and a YET ANOTHER wakeup call for <deleted> lazy thai authorities to start doing their job checking poorly designed and illegal balcony rails / ballustrading in this country. Most are not correct height and many have horizontal slats which should be illegal (because cheaper than vertical ones.. less material used in the former) without legal spacing. Youngsters see it as a ladder to climb up or or through if spacing too great. If you go back to the source of the problem nickel and dime developers who place no value on someone's life. A senseless waste of poor little Mike's life and it will not be the last. a question for authorities.. are the View Talay 2 balcony rails legal? How many are not? I stayed in Furama hotel on Jomtien beach and the balcony rails are 90cm high? Scary? Many others are this or less. Surely not legal height!