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News

OMG, so horrific - twin 2yo die in drawer accident :(

30 replies

Hulababy · 30/09/2004 10:46

Horrid, horridm horrid

"Two-year-old twins were killed when a chest of drawers fell on them at their home, police have confirmed.
The children, from Berkshire, were trying to climb on the drawers when the accident happened in Winkfield on Monday afternoon.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said after initial inquiries the deaths were not being treated as suspicious.

It is believed the youngsters had pulled the drawers out of the chest and used them as steps to get to the top.

The police spokesman said: "We commenced an investigation but we are not treating the deaths as suspicious.

"Two two-year-old twins died in the incident."

It was reported in The Sun newspaper that the brother and sister had been put to bed earlier in the afternoon but had woken up and started playing in their bedroom. "

And so easy. DD, same age, pulled over our chest of drawers this summer. It only didn't land on her as my bed was in the way. How the Tv on top missed I still have no idea. This story justs makes me shudder.

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stitch · 22/10/2004 22:55

when i was five, and my sister three, we were climbing up the drawers to reach the phone at the top. this was one of those old fashioned, heavy chest of drawers. the entire thing tilted and came crashing down on us. i dont know how, but it was a miracle i stepped back and managed to get my sister back as well.

Hulababy · 06/10/2004 21:29

tatcity; sorry. SO sad.

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tatcity · 06/10/2004 13:31

OMG - have just realised that these twins attended our toddler group. Have been there this morning, and there was an announcement about it - a close friend or nanny to them said a few words and there were just loads of mums crying about it. Can't stop thinking about it - how awful.

JanH · 30/09/2004 19:45

moo, I was going to mention IKEA - all their tall furniture comes with straps (very simple, just a grey woven nylon strip and a couple of screws) and I wondered if their other things did too.

It is a scary and very sad story. They must have been such little livewires - can't begin to imagine how the family will go on without them.

wilbur · 30/09/2004 19:42

Too, too sad. My heart breaks for that poor family.

I lived in Los Angeles for a while where it is the norm to fasten stuff to the wall because of earthquakes (they have all sorts of gizmos advertised to attach pretty much anything) and that has made me more aware, esp of heavy pictures and mirrors that can be reached by little climbers. We've just moved and it's on my list to get wardrobes and so on bolted to the wall. Ds and dd are both serious climbers and very curious - I could see them doing exactly what those poor twins did.

poppyseed · 30/09/2004 19:41

How terrible. Bracketing the furniture is something I have never even thought of doing - but will do now..
Feel so sorry for those poor parents.....

marthamoo · 30/09/2004 19:30

That is so awful

We bought a sideboard at Ikea a few weeks ago and it came with a wall fastening - there is a slot incorporated into the back of the unit to take the strap and then fasten it to the wall (I don't know if it is Ikea policy to provide this with all their furniture - it's a good idea if they do; other manufacturers should take note). Bit ashamed to say that we didn't bother - we decided the sideboard filled with stuff was so heavy there was no way it could be tipped over.

misdee · 30/09/2004 19:05

i read this earlier. i have never thought about attaching chains/brackets the furniture but will look into getting something sorted.

jodee · 30/09/2004 18:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

jampot · 30/09/2004 18:09

when ds was about 3 he had one of those cheapy wardrobes with 3 drawers underneath from MFI. He too climbed on the drawers to reach something in the wardrobe when the lot toppled over. Luckily his bedroom was only 6' wide and the wardrobe lodged against the wall creating a triangle with ds cowering in the space. We broke the wardrobe up immediately and he had a clothes rail for about 12 months. All our furniture now is attached to the wall

Miaou · 30/09/2004 17:55

How heart-rending. That has left me in tears.

littlemissbossy · 30/09/2004 17:03

that's so

Hulababy · 30/09/2004 17:01

Story updated:

Two-year-old twins were killed when a chest of drawers fell on them while they were playing.
William John and Betsy Louise Woodbridge, who only turned two last month, were trying to climb on the drawers when the accident happened.

Their parents, Paul, 37, and Louise, 33, are being comforted at their home in Winkfield, Berkshire.

A private funeral for the children is to take place on 5 October at St Mary's Church in Winkfield.

The toddlers were having a nap in their bedroom while their mother was downstairs with relatives, including their grandmother Frances, when the accident happened some time after 1400 BST on Monday.

The family is just shattered out of all existence

Ruth Roll, family friend

The twins were taken to Wexham Park Hospital in Slough - one by air ambulance and the other by land ambulance - but were pronounced dead on arrival.

It is believed the youngsters may have pulled the drawers out of the chest and used them as steps to get to the top.

They leave a 10-year-old brother, Ben, and a four-year-old sister, Lily.

Their mother is a director of Grundon Waste Management, owned by her father Norman Grundon, who appears on the Sunday Times Rich List with wealth estimated at £44m.

The twins' father, who was out at the time of the accident, is an executive with the company.

Ruth Roll, a family friend, said: "They are a very close family, the community in which they live is very close and everybody is completely devastated.

"The family is just shattered out of all existence."

An inquest into the incident, which happened on Monday afternoon, was opened and adjourned, and will be reopened at a date to be confirmed.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said after initial inquiries the deaths were not being treated as suspicious.

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NomDePlume · 30/09/2004 12:22

TBH, it hadn't occurred to me to bracket any of it to the wall.... ashamed

Despite the fact that my big wardrobe fell on top of me when I was about 2.5. Luckily the doors were open (I stood on the inside ledge to reach something on the shelf above the rail), so I only got trapped underneath it and wasn;t hurt, just v shaken. My Mum said she could hear me screaming hysterically and banging the floor for her attention !

GeorginaA · 30/09/2004 12:17

We used to have the furniture bracketed at our old house, but haven't done in this one yet. A timely reminder to do it I think

Hulababy · 30/09/2004 11:20

We haven't either. Might be something to think more seriously about once we move. Makes you think doesn't it?

But then this story is a chest of drawers - not some huge wardrobe or bookcase. Would you think to fasten a chest of drawers to the wall?

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NomDePlume · 30/09/2004 11:20

God, terrible .

None of DD's furniture is bracketed....

Skate · 30/09/2004 11:18

This is horrible - my two ds's pulled the drawers out of their chest of drawers this summer and it fell on them but luckily they were unhurt. What's awful is that the bracket to attach it to the wall is just lay in the bottom drawer unused .

Our bookcases are attached in the lounge because they are massive and would be very easy to climb up.

iota · 30/09/2004 11:17

we've fastened the bookcase in ds1's room to the wall, but not the chest of drawers

woodstock · 30/09/2004 11:16

No brackets yet. Will mention to dh promptly though. This is so heartbreaking!

Angeliz · 30/09/2004 11:16

We have fastened dd's wardrobe to the wall incase it fell but when i think of all the other units!!

How sad

SoupDragon · 30/09/2004 11:15

How many people here have fastend their furniture to the wall with safety brackets for this very reason?

I know we haven't...

Hulababy · 30/09/2004 11:11

Sorry - wrong thread!

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Hulababy · 30/09/2004 11:11

And that woman yesterday had her car taken with her baby in it during the day too - and she was watching the car at all times. I guess people are sjust wary. I think the idea of stopping, hazard lights on and calling 999 from car is probably the safer option, especially if you have your children with you.

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smellymelly · 30/09/2004 11:03

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