7-year-old falls from 14th-floor balcony, survives after tree breaks fall

A 7-year-old boy survived a fall from the balcony of a 14th-floor apartment in Daegu after landing in a tree in a flower bed below.

The tree absorbed much of the impact, leaving the child with only minor injuries. A firefighter who happened to be on vacation nearby reached the scene quickly and administered first aid.

According to the Daegu Fire Department, the first-grade elementary school student, identified only as A, fell from the balcony of an apartment in Suseong-gu, Daegu, at around 3:55 p.m. Tuesday.

A struck a tree in a flower bed on the way down before hitting the ground. The tree absorbed a significant portion of the impact, and the boy escaped with only scrapes. He is believed to have lost his balance while leaning out from the balcony.

Fire Lieutenant Park Yu-seop of the Daegu Fire Department was spending time with his children near the scene while on vacation when he heard a thud and immediately ran over.

After finding the boy, Park called 119 and began administering first aid. He kept A calm and contacted the child's guardians to update them on the situation until paramedics arrived.

"I was very startled myself, but as a parent, my first thought was how frightened and scared the child must have been," Park said.

"I thought the most important thing was to reassure him, so I kept talking to him and checking his condition," he added. "Afterward, his parents told me he had been very shaken but was all right."