Child injured after falling nearly 20 feet through vent to basement

SPRINGFIELD — A child was injured after he fell through an uncovered vent into a basement in Springfield on Monday.

Around 10:00 p.m. Springfield fire crews responded to the 1800 block of South Fountain Avenue reports of a child that had fallen from the second floor into the basement, according to Springfield Fire Division Chief Jacob King.

The mother called 911 and told dispatchers what happened.

“My son just fell from the bathroom to the basement,” she told dispatchers in a 911 call obtained by News Center 7.

“Your son just fell from the bathroom to the basement?” the dispatcher asked.

“Through the floor, yes!” the mother responded.

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A 3-year-old child stepped into an uncovered return vent, and the weight of them falling into that vent caused them to fall through the second floor to the first, ultimately falling halfway to the basement, King said.

King said the child fell 16 to 17 feet and described their injuries as “significant.”

News Center 7′s Gabrielle Enright spoke to the child’s mother who said 3-year-old Torelle went to the hospital and had some stitches and bruises. He is back home and doing okay, she said.

The mother told News Center 7 that the vent was covered at one point and it is unclear how the vent became uncovered.

“This is a unique accident that happened, potentially preventable, making sure that we have our protective grates over those air returns or any duct vents just to prevent anyone from falling in or anything falling into it that could be lost,” King said.

News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.

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