Boy, 11, plunges to death from 19th floor of Panama City resort that family evacuated to amid Hurricane Ian
PANAMA CITY BEACH, FLORIDA: An 11-year-old boy fell to his death from the 19th floor balcony of Sterling Reef condomium in Florida after his family had evacuated from Jacksonville amid Hurricane Ian. Police received a call at 1.19 pm on Thursday, September 19, regarding a "possible child falling off a balcony."
People magazine reported that the mishap was confirmed on Friday, September 20, by Panama City Beach communications director Debbie Ingram. She stated that police, firefighters and other emergency responders found the young boy dead at the scene upon their arrival. "His family was staying there at the hotel, at the condos," she said, adding, "They had evacuated, I'm not sure exactly what day, but they had evacuated from the Jacksonville area."
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Speaking to Panama City News Herald, Ingram revealed that the tragic accident is currently under investigation and the boy's body was handed over to the District 14 Medical Examiner's office. While no foul play is suspected, law enforcement officials are looking into the matter.
The communications director also said that city officials were informed by witnesses that the child seemed to fall from the 19th floor. However, it is unclear how the boy fell from the balcony. "What's so heartbreaking about this is you have a family who's already in dire straits and is worried about their home and protecting their family and then they come here for refuge and then this happens," said Ingram, adding, "So it's just horrible. All of our hearts are broken."
The tragedy that befell the boy's family could have been avoided. "I hate to warn anybody to watch their kids because something can happen in an instant and it's just a tragedy," said Ingram. As residents of Jacksonville, they were not ordered a mandatory evacuation. Still, they chose to evacuate to Panama City Beach, located on Florida's northwest coast deemed "completely safe" from the effects of Hurricane Ian. This came after officials in Jacksonville had issued several warnings that the storm could cause similar flooding as experienced by residents during the Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Irma. With the investigation still ongoing, the identity of the child and his family remains undisclosed by the authorities.
