Toddler next to cliff edge

[elprup]

There must be more to this photo than meets the eye. Because surely no adult in their right mind would let a preschooler wander around freely so close to a cliff edge?!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13253203/Family-dice-death-young-child-edge-Birling-Gap-despite-cliff-falls.html

I really hope there is more to it. However I feel uneasy just looking at it. No reigns on toddler and no one has hands on them. Nothing to immediately restrain them if they make a run for it. It takes a second. And they’re quick little things when they want to be with no sense of danger at that age.

I don't think any of them has any sense, it isn't less safe for a toddler than an adult.

I hate heights and feel terrified just looking at it! Agree it’s dangerous for anyone to be that close to the edge but I do think it’s even less safe for young children, as they have less understanding of the dangers.

Absolutely stupid thing to do

I see two photos, one where there’s two people holding the child’s hands, and one where the mother (I assume) is inches away, has her arms outstretched and is about to grab the child. I grew up on a farm right on the coast, where the access point to the sheep field was on a 20 inch path around a cliff with a sheer drop into the sea. I managed to never run off the edge of it, children do have survival instincts. I’m guessing it’s the children that have never been put into the situations like the ones in the pics, that are the ones dumb enough to run off a cliff. We had it drilled into us ‘watch the edge’! If you think this is scary, don’t google the korowai clans.

I don't think any of them has any sense, it isn't less safe for a toddler than an adult

Of course it's 'less safe' for a toddler! Everyone approaching the edge is putting themselves at risk of course but a toddler would just wander right over without even being aware there was a drop.

Makes me sick just looking at it.

I'd say most people simply don't think. My parents were quite irresponsible and we were somewhere near a cliffy beach when I was small but old enough to remember. They were nowhere near me (I mean 100s of yards away) and I wanted to look over the edge so I did. A gust of wind blew and pushed me forwards and somehow I fought it but I nearly went over and it would have been certain death. I ran over to my parents terrified and they just sort of said a half cheery hello so I assumed they were unaware and I was too frightened to speak so we carried on. Not even a hug.

Decades later my dad mentioned the same day from his perspective. He said he looked back and saw me being blown towards the edge and how he was so terrified and felt powerless as he was so far away. He wished he hadn't been so far away from me and that they hadn't walked ahead etc. I asked why we were so far apart and he said "well you don't think of these things do you".

I always think of these bloody things! I walk around terrified of god knows what but I think it's because they were awful.

All those people stood so close to the edge are stupid. I certainly wouldn’t get that close to the edge of chalk cliffs.

For goodness sake - in one picture they’re holding the child, in the other it looks like the adult is positioned between the cliff edge and child. My kids have grown up scrambling/climbing and this feels like a total non story to me. DM desperate for clicks I guess.

The danger is due to the cliffs falling down..there are loads of signs there about it. Not because of the edge per se.

Not a nothing story ,all are stupid being that close to cliff edge,chalk cliffs can collapse without warning.

Why in God's name isn't this area fenced off!? It is a tragedy waiting to happen

I can't work out if this is satire or not

🤢

And here’s me with a vice-like grip on my 3 year old when we’re walking next to 1 meter drop into the waist deep (on him) burn that runs through the glen near our house 😂🙈

Are you like me where you minimise what your dc have done at certain ages as you’d get called a liar on here? There was a thread years ago about an op not letting her 7yo downstairs alone in the morning, I posted with evidence my 6yo getting himself up, putting the telly on and making himself breakfast, and then driving the tractor down to the lambing shed. My first reply was legit ‘it’s so sad that your son’s first thought upon awaking was sitting in front of cartoons’….

For goodness sake - in one picture they’re holding the child, in the other it looks like the adult is positioned between the cliff edge and child. My kids have grown up scrambling/climbing and this feels like a total non story to me. DM desperate for clicks I guess.

These are chalk cliffs. They are constantly crumbling and there are regular deaths.

I knew this would be Birling Gap before opening the thread.

@Rocknrolla21 That is classic MN😂
Love the thought of a 6yo driving a tractor, what a champ. My son would have loved that!

You're right to,the dangers are all relative.A 3 yr old in a burn at full speight for instance definitely vice grip.

There are a lot of idiots out there, and no restrictions on them reproducing. At the end of the day, this is not really your problem, OP.

Absolutely madness. I've seen people sitting on the edge dangling their feet over the cliff at the Birling Gap...just why.

It's very windy there and with yesterday's and today weather, absolutely irresponsible of the parents. As a pp commented too, cliffs can collapse.

Stupid, and sickening. My husband once jumped into the sea to drag out a small child who fell from some rocks while the parents were about 50ft away, calling "okay, we're going without you then!" Their faces afterwards were like death masks - utter shock. I doubt they will forget it for a long time (and nor will I).

The cliffs are crumbling, how much help do you think a parent would be holding their toddler’s hand if there was a rockfall

The cliffs are constantly collapsing with all this rain so no-one should be within 20 feet of the edge.

The toddler on the loose is just dicing with death. Why even risk it.