Toddler Survives Fall from 15th Floor of Apartment Building

In what first responders are calling nothing short of a miracle, a 2-year-old boy survived a terrifying plunge from the 15th floor of a high-rise apartment building in Maryland after landing in a patch of bushes and mulch.

The fall happened Thursday afternoon from a private balcony equipped with protective glass—not a railing—according to Montgomery County Police spokesperson Shiera Goff. Several adults were inside the apartment at the time of the incident.

Officials say the child sustained “traumatic” injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital by a parent. His current condition has not been released.

Assistant Fire Chief David Pazos of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue called the boy’s survival “miraculous,” saying the bushes and soft mulch below likely cushioned the impact. “The child hit the bushes and landed in mulch, softening the impact,” Pazos told ABC News.

Goff added that the boy’s small size may have been a factor in saving his life. “His age and size and weight is really what helped, because if he had been any heavier, he may not have survived,” she said. “It was a combination of those shrubs being there and his size and weight.”

Local residents were shaken by the incident. “I was so scared,” one nearby mom told ABC affiliate WJLA. “I was just thinking if it were my daughter, what would I do?”

Police are continuing to investigate how the fall happened and whether any safety issues were involved. For now, though, neighbors and authorities alike are calling it an unbelievable stroke of luck.