Child, five, is hospitalised after falling from window in north London – with the air ambulance delayed getting to the scene after landing in basketball court that was LOCKED ‘due to coronavirus’
- Child was injured after falling from window in Kilburn, North London
- Condition of the child is not known but police said they have not made arrests
- London Air Ambulance helicopter landed in basketball court nearby
- But they were trapped inside because both gates of the court were locked
- They were freed by a pair of bolt cutters after around five minutes
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Air ambulance paramedics were delayed in treating a five-year-old child who fell out of a window after they landed their helicopter in a basketball court and discovered the gates were locked.
The child was injured after falling from the window in Maygrove Road in Kilburn, North London at around 5.30pm on Tuesday afternoon and was taken to hospital.
After the injury, paramedics from London Air Ambulance service landed in a basketball court nearby but were then unable to get out because of the locked gates.
Photographer Robert Timothy, 41, lives nearby and took pictures of the medics from the other side of the court’s fence.
He told MailOnline that the rescuers were trapped for around five minutes before being freed by bolt cutters supplied by a resident.
Mr Timothy claimed the court had earlier been locked by Camden Council as part of coronavirus lockdown measures.
Air ambulance paramedics were delayed in treating a five-year-old child who fell out of a window after they landed their helicopter in a basketball court and discovered the gates were locked
The child was injured after falling from the window in Maygrove Road in Kilburn, North London at around 5.30pm on Tuesday afternoon and was taken to hospital
He said: ‘I heard the helicopter circling just after 5.30pm. There were loads of sirens, loads of police cars.
‘I grabbed the camera and ran up to find they had landed.
‘They were getting out the helicopter but the gate of the court had been padlocked by the council because of presumably to stop people congregating.’
The medics then had to wait for the lock to be broken with a pair of bolt cutters supplied by a local who had come to help.
‘There were lots of bystanders,’ Mr Timothy said. ‘They realised they couldn’t get the gate open.
‘People were trying to kick it before someone shouted we need bolt cutters and a huge pair then appeared.’
After the injury, paramedics from London Air Ambulance service landed in a basketball court nearby but were then unable to get out because of the locked gates
Photographer Robert Timothy, 41, lives nearby and took pictures of the medics from the other side of the court’s fence
He told MailOnline that the rescuers were trapped for around five minutes and claimed the court had earlier been locked by Camden Council as part of coronavirus lockdown measures
However, Mr Timothy added the tool did not work on the first gate and so the paramedics were further delayed before the lock on the second gate was finally broken.
‘I would say it was a good five minutes that they were trying to bash their way out of the court,’ Mr Timothy said.
‘It does not sound a lot but five minutes of trying to smash a lock open when every second counts.’
The photographer added that before the lockdown was imposed, the court was regularly in use.
The Metropolitan Police said they had not made any arrests and the condition of the child is not known. Pictured: A police car near where the child fell from a window
‘In retrospect it would have helped had they not been locked,’ he said.
The Metropolitan Police said they had not made any arrests and the condition of the child is not known.
They said on Twitter: ‘Police were called by ambulance colleagues at around 6.20pm to a child fallen from a window in Maygrove Rd, Kilburn.
‘The child, aged around 5 years, has been taken to hospital. No arrest. We await a condition update.’