Toddler got away from mother right before fatal fall

Comments on Topix forums : CHIMNEY ROCK A 2-year-old boy killed at Chimney Rock Park had broken free from his mother's hand moments before falling more than 100 feet from a cliff, a park official said Monday.

[Bru]

May God make his face to shine upon this poor family. Things very similar have happened at Grand Canyon also. A truly unbelievable and sad event,made more complex by the fact that the parents don't speak English.

[Larry Whitt]

they will sue the park for lame rails

[dian]

they should put up better rails. There also should be an age limit on visitors. Toddlers get away from their parent.s God Bless there family.

[Mom of 2 under 2]

Being a mother of 2 toddlers, I know how easy it is for them to get away from you, however, I would never dream of taking my children on a hike anywhere, much less somewhere that is this dangerous to adults, much less a small child. An age req. on visitors is a great idea, for those parents who are unable to make a logical decision themselves. This story makes me sick, and I rarely read news events involving children for that reason, however this one caught my attention. I pray for the family, and hope that something is done to prevent something like this from happening in the future.

[Mtnbred]

Bru wrote:

A truly unbelievable and sad event,made more complex by the fact that the parents don't speak English.

This is just horrible. I cannot imagine losing a child in this (or any other) fashion. The parents are listed as being from SC. It is a shame that because they cannot speak English that they could not read the Danger Warnings. Another innocent victim.

[Terribly sad]

Toddlers can wiggle away in a split second it's unbelievable. So please don't judge anyone that feels they need to use a harness system (in some situations) with their toddler.

[DYM]

Thank God the other side of the story is finally being told. I was there when this happend and this is a very unsafe park. The first article I read made me very angry cause of the way it told the story. The child didn't wonder off the trail, it was on the trail when it fell. The wooden rail fence had plenty of room for the toddler to fall from. There was no barricade like they said where it fell from. The trails were not closed and they knew when the child died and how far it fell. The park is trying to make it be the parents fault. This could happen to a grown person. I will never go there again. I hope and pray this will be investigated and the park made to update to safer trails. I just can't get over how unsafe this park is. We were told to come right on through by where they were getting the boy from. We could see them putting him on the stretcher. They should have cleared the trails and told everyone to stay off till the rescue was complete. It's a shame money is this important to the park.

[local]

Mtnbred wrote:

<quoted text>
This is just horrible. I cannot imagine losing a child in this (or any other) fashion. The parents are listed as being from SC. It is a shame that because they cannot speak English that they could not read the Danger Warnings. Another innocent victim.

The parents are probably grieveing now and, of course, we should not ever pass judgment on them.

But this tragedy should remind all parents they should never depend on signs in lieu of common sense. And children should learn the meaning of 'NO! by whatever means necessary when they begin walking.

And it should remind managers of all tourist attractions to make the dangerous places more secure (including, I believe, slippery areas above waterfalls).

If all of the above happens other lives will be saved, and this tragedy will not have been in vain.

[mr greenbacks]

Larry Whitt wrote:

they will sue the park for lame rails

Get educated.
1. It's a state park, so they'd have to sue the state.
2. As they speak very limited English (according to the article), it is possible that they are foreign nationals.
3. The 11th Amendment to the constitution places very significant restrictions on the ability of foreign nationals to file suit against a state.

[Mtnbred]

DYM wrote:

The child didn't wonder off the trail, it was on the trail when it fell. The wooden rail fence had plenty of room for the toddler to fall from.

I have been to this park many, many times and there is no way in hell that you can fall from the trail.

High trails with drop offs such as this exist and it is up to the people to stay safe. I would imagine that some folks would blame this on Gad because he put a rock cliff in the mountains. Geeeshhhh...

[Mtnbred]

I meant to say 'blame it on God because he put a rock cliff in the mountains.'

Not Gad.

It is the responsibility of the parents to keep their children safe. Ever heard of that one? Ever get a fence to babysit your kids? No? Didn't think so.

[mr greenbacks]

They could, however, file suit against the management company that runs the park on behalf of the state.

[mr greenbacks]

Mtnbred wrote:

<quoted text>
I have been to this park many, many times and there is no way in hell that you can fall from the trail.
High trails with drop offs such as this exist and it is up to the people to stay safe. I would imagine that some folks would blame this on Gad because he put a rock cliff in the mountains. Geeeshhhh...

You contradict yourself. First you say there is no way in hell taht you can fall from the trail, then you say there there are high trails with drop-offs. Which is it, genius?

There are many places where someone could slip and fall from the trails and there are many signs posted in the park that warn about it.

[Lollerkeekles]

Mtnbred wrote:

Not Gad.

No, it's "Gawd". Gee, for someone who claims to be "Mountain Bred"...

[Come on]

Again, some of you would probably sue your hotel at the beach if you got sunburned there, simply because there were no signs warning you about prolonged exposure to the sun.

Wouldn't it be fairly obvious to anyone on these trails (regardless of what language they speak) that there are inherent dangers? Have we become such a nation of victims that we must always find someone to blame?

[mr greenbacks]

Come on wrote:

...Wouldn't it be fairly obvious to anyone on these trails (regardless of what language they speak) that there are inherent dangers?...

Apparently, not.

[NATIVE Mountain Educator]

This is such a sad story. I can't imagine going out for a day with my family and coming back without MY 2 year old. If these parents speak very little English, they might not have completely understood the dangers of the park. I'm sure their hearts are breaking.

[Here come the fences]

I do not need the state protecting me from heights. I am fully capable of not falling off the edges of mountains. DO NOT ruin Chimney Rock or other areas such as this because one terrible but also preventable death.

[Lola]

Mtnbred wrote:

I meant to say 'blame it on God because he put a rock cliff in the mountains.'
Not Gad.
It is the responsibility of the parents to keep their children safe. Ever heard of that one? Ever get a fence to babysit your kids? No? Didn't think so.

Spoken by someone who obviously never had a toddler get away from them - ever....as if. Get real. All it takes is a split second. You know this mother is going to see that moment in her head until the day she dies, wondering if she could have just held on a little tighter. It was a horrible accident. I am happy you have been fortunate enough to never have been a victim of one, but is it necessary to prey on other people's misery?

[OUR12]

I for one do not want to see the few natural attractions left in this country turned into some kind of Disneyland theme park, turnstyle, roped off assembly line. These areas are opened for people to visit because of their natural splendor. They are not made by man, and as such, cannot be subjected to building safety standards, ADA measures or other ridiculous mandates some would project on them. This was not part of the Chimney Rock itself. It was one of the hiking trails on cliff side of the mountain.

While this is very tragic, it also illustrates the dangers of these kind of areas. Not because some person or agency failed to safeguard visitors, but because these areas are not a safe place. The state and management should clearly indicate they bear no liability for what happens when people venture up there, but they probably already have. They can't and shouldn't take responsibility for people's ultimate safety on a mountain. If that happens, I have to wonder what kind of contraptions they'll have to install on the Himalayas, or what safety barricade we'll all need around our camp fires. Where exactly does personal responsibility begin? To my mind, it's required at all times by everyone.