Child falls from third-floor window in Lauderdale Lakes

Girl, 1, taken to hospital in Fort Lauderdale as precaution

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A 1-year-old girl was taken to a hospital after falling from a third-floor window at a South Florida apartment, the Broward Sheriff's Office told Local 10 News.

It happened Friday morning at the Cambridge Square Apartments, 3821 NW 21st St., in Lauderdale Lakes.

"At this time we are treating this as an accident," BSO spokesman Mike Jachles said.

Deputies said the girl's mother was in the home sleeping with a 5-month-old child and the girl's father was in the kitchen cooking as the girl, a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old were in another room playing.

The father left the kitchen and went into the room where the kids were playing to check on them. Deputies said he saw the window open and the girl was missing from the room.

Downstairs, a building maintenance man told deputies he heard a sound he thought was someone throwing garbage out a window. He went to investigate and saw the girl crawling out of the bushes, according to BSO.

Another person walked over to the maintenance man to see what was going on. Deputies said that person picked up the girl, took her upstairs and gave her to the girl's mother.

It's being investigated whether or not the 1-year-old girl may have pushed against the screen window.

Deputies arrived to find the mother holding the girl. The child was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale as a precaution to make sure there was no internal bleeding or bruising.

BSO said the incident was being considered an accident per procedure. The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified.

A child's toy could be seen on the grass below a third-floor window with the blinds partially open.

Follow Peter Burke on Twitter @PeteBurke

Follow Christina Vazquez on Twitter @VazquezReports

Follow Local 10 on Twitter @WPLGLocal10