OTTAWA — A young girl is in critical condition after falling from an 11th-floor apartment balcony on Alta Vista Drive on Saturday morning. The Ottawa Paramedic Service responded to the emergency call at 11:22 a.m., according to Commander Kevin Montgomery.
Witnesses described the incident as deeply traumatic. Halima Begum, a neighboring resident who witnessed the fall from her own balcony, reported seeing the child on a chair shortly before noticing “something” plunge to the ground. A man walking his dog was the first to reach the child, who was breathing but completely immobilized. Begum immediately contacted emergency services. Another resident, Showaib Chowdhury, also witnessed two children playing on the balcony across the complex just moments before the tragedy occurred.
Paramedics assessed the injured child at the scene before rushing her to the emergency department of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).
This incident marks the latest in a troubling series of high-rise falls involving children in Ottawa since the beginning of the year. In April, a young boy tragically lost his life after falling from an apartment window near the University of Ottawa, and another child was injured in a balcony fall in Stittsville in early June.
Expressing deep condolences to the family, Alta Vista Councilor Marty Carr called the incident an “absolute tragedy” and emphasized the urgent need for increased safety measures, including stricter communication with building owners and tenant education regarding window and balcony safety.
