Accidental verdict in death of child who fell out window

A jury has returned a verdict of accidental death in the case of a toddler who died after falling from an upstairs window.

It also urged the HSE to publish immediately the recommendations of a review into the ambulance service’s response to the emergency.

In addition, the jury at the inquest into the death of 23-month-old Vakaris Martinaitis recommended that all families check the security of upstairs windows in their homes after hearing that there was no lock on the upstairs window from which he fell on May 6th last.

The inquest at Cork City Coroner's Court heard a statement from the toddler's eight year old sister, saying how they were playing in a boxroom in their home at the Paddocks, Castleredmond in Midleton around lunch hour on May 6th when the accident happened.

“I was playing upstairs in the small bedroom with my brother. My brother was sitting on the window sill. I went to get a teddy. He opened the window and fell down. I tried to catch him but I didn’t have time to catch him,” she told gardaí.

Garda Fergus Whelton said the window in question did not have any lock and when the handle was turned, he found that it opened fully out, offering no resistance as it swung out to create the two foot opening through which the toddler fell.

Today’s inquest also heard how Vakaris had suffered extensive fractures to the skull and head injuries including bleeding to the brain in the fall but that externally, he presented at Cork University Hospital at 2.36pm with an abrasion and swelling to his forehead.

A CT scan revealed extensive fractures to the skull and internal bleeding and he underwent emergency surgery to evacuate the blood which was building up inside his skull and initially the procedure proved satisfactory but the bleeding intensified.

His condition began to deteriorate between 7pm and 8pm and he later suffered a cardiac arrest in the intensive care unit at 1.30am on May 7th which lasted 45 minutes and he died the following day at 2.21pm - almost 48 hours after he was admitted to CUH.

The inquest had previously heard how an ambulance was due to be dispatched to collect Vakaris after HSE ambulance control received an emergency 999 call but it was stood down because the ambulance controller thought the child had suffered a simple fall in a garden.

Cork City Coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane suggested to the jury that might wish to look at communication issues and related issues highlighted by the case including the fact that the ambulance controller suggested that Vakaris's family take him to the local SouthDoc.

The jury had heard that ambulance control had no priority means of alerting SouthDoc but could only ring through on the general number and this might also be an issue that the jury might address if they chose to make any recommendations

However, solicitor for the HSE, Diarmuid Cunningham said review of the emergency response by an external independent team of experts and due to be published soon addressed all these issues and its recommendations were in the process of being implemented.

Dr Cullinane extended her sympathies to Vakaris’s parents, Vidas and Aukse on the tragic loss of their little boy and praised them for their generosity in donating some of Vakaris’s organs for harvesting which had benefitted four other families.