Althouse: "I grabbed my son and I held him as tight as I could to my chest and I gave him a kiss and a hug, and I told him I loved him and I jumped out the window."

May 14, 2014

"I grabbed my son and I held him as tight as I could to my chest and I gave him a kiss and a hug, and I told him I loved him and I jumped out the window."

Says a 23-year-old-woman about surviving a fire with her 18-month-old son.

In the video at the link, the reporter interviewing the woman's husband successfully prompts him to say the stock line "That's all that matters" in response to the fact that the boy is completely fine. But the wife may never walk again.

It's bad enough for reporters to feed lines to their interviewees, but this line, although utterly standard, was the wrong line. That said, the line the mother fed the child at the point of jumping out the window was also a stock line — "I love you." But she came up with it on her own, and it really was the right line.

18 comments:

Ann Althouse said...: The woman severely injured her back in what was a jump only from a second-story balcony.

Perhaps clutching the child and using her body to protect him was the wrong survival choice, even though it is touching that from her subjective point of view, she put the child first.

Dropping the boy down over the edge then climbing over and dropping herself might have left them both uninjured.; 5/14/14, 9:25 AM
Ann Althouse said...: The news report is in the conventional human-interest form, presenting us (along with the husband) with promptings about how we are supposed to think and feel.

There's no information for future potential survivors about the best way to escape from a fire and certainly no hint that the woman made the wrong choice or that the husband is anything less than thankful about the outcome.; 5/14/14, 9:29 AM
Patrick said...: Clearly, the mother's instinct was nice, but I was thinking pretty much the same thing-wasn't there a beret way from the second floor?

It is like many of my complaints with the media, an unthinking and uncritical recitation of a narrative that fits the purpose and world view of the media. Usually, it is apparent in political stories, but by no means is limited to politics.; 5/14/14, 9:45 AM
Wince said...: Perhaps clutching the child and using her body to protect him was the wrong survival choice, even though it is touching that from her subjective point of view, she put the child first.

You know, I said the same thing to Mighty Joe Young at the burning orphanage in 1949. Twice.; 5/14/14, 9:46 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: Prompting or not, it's a pretty elemental story. Fire at her back and child in her arms, the woman did what every instinct told her to do. Stories like this are a gift to the lazy journalist and I'm all for picking them (the journalist) apart, but it's laughable to question the woman's actions under these circumstances.; 5/14/14, 9:46 AM
Larry J said...: From what I've read, the fire was quite close and she didn't have a lot of time to consider options. Under the stress of the moment, she made a valid decision to put her child's safety before her own. With the luxury of time and not being threatened by fire, we can discuss alternative actions (AKA armchair quarterbacking) but I won't fault her decisions under the circumstances. Tottlers tend to be top heavy with weak bones, so dropping him might not be a good option. She might've not injured herself as badly (depends on a lot of factors) but her son might've been seriously injured or worse. If that happened, people would be criticizing her for putting her own safety ahead of her child.

As it was, she made a logical and brave decision. I admire her for that and hope she makes the fullest possible recovery.; 5/14/14, 10:38 AM
SJ said...: @Ann,

I've heard stories of Army Veterans with paratrooper experience surviving such falls relatively unscathed.

(I can't recall the specific methods, other than to try to convert the downward fall into a sideways slide-and-roll on the ground.)

Still, I don't know if any of them has ever attempted such a fall with an infant in their arms.

About dropping the child: it goes strongly against instinct. But it may have been a good idea, if the child landed on something that wasn't concrete/asphalt.

Before I say any more, I'd want some input from a pediatrician about the odds of an 18-month-old surviving such a fall.

About this:
There's no information for future potential survivors about the best way to escape from a fire and certainly no hint that the woman made the wrong choice or that the husband is anything less than thankful about the outcome.

I agree with you. As a human-interest story, it attracts the eyes. But shouldn't it contain some information about the best/worst options in that situation? And about better decision-making?; 5/14/14, 10:43 AM
Ann Althouse said...: @EDH

Thanks… you're on my list of Best Comments Ever.; 5/14/14, 10:47 AM
Rocketeer said...: Adults know how to fall. Infants and toddlers do not. It is not instinctual; it is learned. Even having learned, plenty of adults die - yes, die - from falls shorter than two stories.

I'd say she did make the right choice, unfortunate as her resultant circumstances may be. God bless her. He already blesses the child with a mother that demonstrably loves him more than herself.; 5/14/14, 10:48 AM
Hagar said...: The Professor displays her masculine streak when advocating stopping to consider alternative solutions to grab the baby and jump.

And, yeah, the media are annoying, but their mission is to enforce conformity. That is just the way it is.; 5/14/14, 10:49 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Tottlers tend to be top heavy with weak bones, so dropping him might not be a good option."

Well, I'm interested in knowing the actual answer for future reference. Is that true? Weak bones? I thought babies' bones were more flexible and less likely to break. I don't know what the surface below the balcony was, but I think babies falling from windows have a better chance of survival than adults.

Again, I'm not faulting the woman. Jeez!

I'm trying to extract a lesson for future reference.

You know how on the airplanes they tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first. They say that to overcome the instinctive idea that you should help the child.

And if Mighty Joe Young had been incapacitated after the fall from the tree [SPOILER ALERT] he would not have been able to save the child as the house was about to fall on her.; 5/14/14, 10:53 AM
Larry J said...: Well, I'm interested in knowing the actual answer for future reference. Is that true? Weak bones? I thought babies' bones were more flexible and less likely to break. I don't know what the surface below the balcony was, but I think babies falling from windows have a better chance of survival than adults.

Send the problem to Mythbusters and let them test it. The surface below the window makes a world of difference. Rocks, bushes, curbs, pavement and the like are rough to land on without injury. As a former paratrooper, doing a PLF with a child chutched to your chest wouldn't be easy. For one thing, you're likely off balance when you hit. Odds are you aren't perpendicular to the ground due to the child's mass throwing off your center of gravity.; 5/14/14, 11:31 AM
n.n said...: Wow. Children, women, and men first. In that order. It's not an easy sacrifice.; 5/14/14, 1:38 PM
CatherineM said...: All the stories now say 3rd story balcony. http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/25454894/fire-erupts-in-haverhill-building.

Having to escape a fire is my greatest fear.; 5/14/14, 1:55 PM
Unknown said...: I've seen it suggested that she use bedsheets to lower the child down to a shorter drop, then jump herself and tuck and roll.

The flames were only ten feet away. I doubt she had time or presence of mind to think that hard about it. You're supposed to have ladders, but people rarely do.

I used to rehearse this scenario adn unless I had a baby pack, there'd be no way I could do it. I'd hang over the balcony by my hands, making it more of a one-story drop, and then drop into the juniper. (Ouch, but better than cement.)

However, the city has demanded the balcony be "upgraded" to a cage-like structure to protect children from falling off. Now there is no way to slip under the rails and make it a safer drop.; 5/14/14, 2:34 PM
Rick M said...: I knew a guy that was trapped by a flash fire in a power plant, he described an incredibly powerful inclination to jump over a hand rail. However it was 15 stories to the ground and he managed to keep his head screwed on straight. He hit the deck as the fire passed over him. (Coal dust was the fuel)

Mostly minor burns resulted.

Burns can hurt the worst, but if they don't kill you they'll heal. Given a choice, I'd pick survivable burns over lifetime loss of the use of the lower 1/2 of my body.; 5/14/14, 3:02 PM
Rick M said...: And then there's this: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2014/05/13/1-year-old-expected-to-survive-after-11-story-fall/; 5/14/14, 3:05 PM
traditionalguy said...: Inhalation of smoke kills many before the get out.

That boy is blessed to have a strong mother. And when she needs his strength 20 years from now, he wii be there and love her just as loyally.; 5/14/14, 5:09 PM