A 4-year-old boy is lucky to be alive after he survived a 7-story fall from the 17th floor of a downtown Miami highrise hotel.
Miracle might be more like it.
The incident happened around 11 a.m. Friday, after the youngster, identified as Joey Williams, fell from the balcony on the 17th floor of the Doubletree Grand Hotel at 1717 N. Bayshore Drive.
Joey climbed over a balcony railing and then fell nearly 80 feet before bouncing off some trees and then landing on a dirt surface instead of the hard pavement, according to the Miami Fire-Rescue Department.
The youngster was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital, and is expected to be able to go home today, a family member said.
Four hours after the fall, little Joey was seen snacking on some french fries and a large soda.
"In the case of joey, the miracle baby, he is fine," his grandfather, Jerry Unawich, said. "There are no broken bones and doctors told us everything is fine. No bleeding internally. We were truly blessed that God was there with him."
Local
Fred Joseph was on the pool deck and saw Joey tumbling through the air. He rushed over to the boy after he fell through the trees.
"Your mind doesn't want to believe what you are seeing," Joseph said.
The boy's location for a landing was almost as mind-boggling as the fall itself. Joey landed between two pipes jutting out of the ground and a sprinkler head, Joseph said. The pipes were right next to the boy's head and the sprinkler by his feet.
"How did he miss those?" Joseph exclaimed. "I thought I saw the hand of God helping that boy. It not only helped him, it landed him."
Rescue crews were equally amazed that the boy wasn't seriously injured.
Lt. Ignatius Carroll, a spokesman for Miami Fire Rescue may have had the understatement of the year: "It's amazing that he's alive."
