Three-year-old girl escapes 20-foot fall from escalator

A MAJOR root and branch safety investigation is being conducted by one of Cork’s newest shopping centres following the miraculous escape of a three-year-old child in a fall from an escalator.

The girl fell more than 20 feet from the top of an escalator on to a table in a ground floor restaurant at MahonPoint shopping centre on Sunday morning.

“She was playing with a balloon when she fell over the railing of the escalator,” said shopping centre manager John Cantwell. “She landed on a table in O’Brien’s Sandwich Bar.”

He said that the managers of the shopping centre would interview every member of staff who were on duty at the time in a bid to establish the precise circumstances of the accident.

The child’s father and brother were with the girl when the accident happened just after 11.30am.

Gardaí and the ambulance service arrived at the scene within minutes and the little girl was taken to Cork University Hospital for examination. She was discharged on Sunday evening having been treated for minor bruising.

“This was a miracle, especially when we are talking about a three-year-old child,” said Mr Cantwell. And it was a very rare incident, given the number of people who use the centre. The safety of a little child is paramount to us.”

An investigation is being carried out by the property management company looking after MahonPoint.

“We will be talking to everybody concerned, like the duty manager, security guards and other staff,” said Mr Cantwell.