News / International
Man survives 15th floor fall
17 Jun 2013 at 04:34hrs | Views
A British man has survived a fall from the 15th floor of a building in New Zealand, local media report.
Tom Stilwell fell from his neighbours' balcony in his apartment block in Auckland at 02:00 local time on Sunday (14:00 GMT on Saturday), reports said.
He had been trying to lower himself onto his balcony, which was directly below his neighbours'.
His friends said that he had bone fractures and internal injuries, but was "fine" and "a very lucky man".
The 20-year-old is said to be in New Zealand on a working holiday.
Mr Stilwell discovered he was locked out of his flat early on Sunday, and asked a neighbour if he could climb from her balcony into his flat, his friends said.
The neighbour, Geraldine Bautista, told the New Zealand Herald that Mr Stilwell was "a little tipsy" but polite.
"I wasn't scared of him - he just requested 'Can you please let me jump off from the balcony? I will not bother you, just let me use your balcony.'"
"I never thought he would really do that. In my mind I thought 'Okay, I'll just let you see that it's really impossible. I didn't think he'd jump, because it's really scary."
However, he quickly pulled himself over the balcony railing before she could stop him, she said.
Mr Stilwell's fall was broken by the roof of an adjacent building, reportedly some 13 floors below.
Dr Tony Smith, a medical director at St John, an emergency healthcare organisation, told the New Zealand Herald that a person's chances of survival were increased if they were able to break their fall on something.
However, "survival from falls of that height are extraordinarily unusual", he said.
Tom Stilwell fell from his neighbours' balcony in his apartment block in Auckland at 02:00 local time on Sunday (14:00 GMT on Saturday), reports said.
He had been trying to lower himself onto his balcony, which was directly below his neighbours'.
His friends said that he had bone fractures and internal injuries, but was "fine" and "a very lucky man".
The 20-year-old is said to be in New Zealand on a working holiday.
Mr Stilwell discovered he was locked out of his flat early on Sunday, and asked a neighbour if he could climb from her balcony into his flat, his friends said.
The neighbour, Geraldine Bautista, told the New Zealand Herald that Mr Stilwell was "a little tipsy" but polite.
"I wasn't scared of him - he just requested 'Can you please let me jump off from the balcony? I will not bother you, just let me use your balcony.'"
"I never thought he would really do that. In my mind I thought 'Okay, I'll just let you see that it's really impossible. I didn't think he'd jump, because it's really scary."
However, he quickly pulled himself over the balcony railing before she could stop him, she said.
Mr Stilwell's fall was broken by the roof of an adjacent building, reportedly some 13 floors below.
Dr Tony Smith, a medical director at St John, an emergency healthcare organisation, told the New Zealand Herald that a person's chances of survival were increased if they were able to break their fall on something.
However, "survival from falls of that height are extraordinarily unusual", he said.
Source - BBC
