March 05--Fort Smith firefighters rescued a child Tuesday morning at Immaculate Conception School in Fort Smith, after the toddler fell through a hole in an attic area.
Battalion Chief Mark Talley said firefighters lowered a firefighter in a harness down to the child, who fell through a hole down about two stories.
The 18-month-old girl fell into an old ventilation shaft while her mother, a school volunteer, was sorting uniforms, said Sharon Blentlinger, school principal.
"Our heroes got here quickly," Blentlinger said. "She lost a shoe, but other than that she's in perfectly good health."
Two parents were sorting uniforms in a closet in the attic area when the girl fell.
The girl appeared uninjured but an ambulance took her to a local hospital as a precaution, Talley said. The child was awake and crying, he said.
Talley said the rescue took about 10 minutes.
"It's such a blessing" the school is located close to emergency personnel, Blentlinger said.
"We try to be proactive about our maintenance, but obviously we need to do more," she said. "We already have a plan."
Copyright 2013 - Times Record, Fort Smith, Ark.
