To have not said anything to this dad? (I think I was)

[HopHopHopSkip]

I was at a busy park (grass area by river) earlier today, and there was a dad with a toddler boy running around. The boy was coming over to me and baby DD a lot, and was being lovely with DD handing her toys etc while dad was on his phone texting, then ran off again. Dad caught up with him, then picked him up and sat him on the wall with a railing about 20cm up on it, over about a 2 story drop to the river.
He let go, and the boy was sitting there for about 30 seconds looking over the edge, with the dad looking away at times, not holding him.
When the boy began to stand up, the dad pushed him back down to sitting after a few seconds, then got him down when he tried to stand again.

I was completely panicking watching him, and felt like I should say something, but then thought maybe the dad knows his balance better than I do so on.
Would you say something in this/a similar situation where you're clearly interfering with someone elses parenting but are worried about safety?

[Mia4]

Sounds like my ex-BILs parenting tbh,which involves allowing my niece to run off all the time into the road, rivers and up to dogs.This dad could have just been a great but distracted dad but I have to admit read the post I thought, that sounds like ex-BIL.

YANBU to not say anything, though when DN comes back and I hear these horror stories I often wish someone would smash ex-BIL over the head or give him a verbal bashing.

[Justforlaughs]

If Dad had wandered away then I would have intervened, but not if hew as standing right there.

[Whothefuckfarted]

Nope, i'd keep my mouth shut.

[BreasticlesNTesticles]

I have been in similar situations and have had to move away as I can't watch. We were in a pub having lunch and there was a baby toddling around, about 12 months ish, very tiny to walk, and she wasn't being watched. But the wide open main door went straight onto a very busy road, and the wide open side door went straight on to the car park and very busy road.

After watching her dad grab her after she had run through the side door and as I was about to break into a sprint, I had to move so I couldn't see. I don't think they would have taken kindly to any parenting advice.

[fortifiedwithtea]

Sounds horrific but you were right to say nothing. As has already been said, if you had called out you could have distracted the father/made him angry and the toddler would have been more likely to fall.

[AudrinaAdare]

It's tricky. My heart would have been in my mouth, but one thing I do know is that tragic accidents can happen when people are in precarious positions and someone startles them by shouting or making sudden movements, even if it is to warn. You did the right thing to hold off while the child was in danger.

Parent was a twat though. A two-storey drop over a river? Bloody hell. Sometimes I wish I were a strong man. I'd have dangled him by his legs over it and asked him how safe and secure he felt.

[AgentZigzag]

It's a difficult one, but if he was there right in front of him I probably would have just sat there with my heart in my mouth.

Everyone's safety radar is different, and you just can't predict what kind of a response you'll get, a mouthful and you'd think yourself lucky compared to how some can react.