Heart-stopping video shows young child walking outside railing on highrise balcony

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Heart-stopping video captured Tuesday shows a young child walking outside the railing of a 19th-floor apartment in Kakaako.

The child was pulled to safety by a neighbor.

Police say the incident happened after a woman’s attempted suicide in the unit.

At about 11:20 a.m., the boy ended up outside the railing on the 19th floor of Keauhou Place on South Street.

Police say moments before, a 38-year-old woman fell from that unit in an apparent suicide attempt.

She was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

A witness told Hawaii News Now the boy was crying uncontrollably and screaming for his mother.

Britt Young, executive director of Xplor Counseling, said a trauma of this magnitude could shape his entire life.

“At this age developmentally, most children who are confused about an experience automatically put blame on themselves and wonder, was this my fault,” said Young. “And this might be something that this child experiences and also something that he will have to overcome.”

Dr. Deborah Goebert of the State of Hawaii Suicide Prevention Task Force said the Hawaii Cares Line is not only for those thinking of hurting themselves but for their loved ones.

“We say for everybody to call the Hawaii Cares Line for help because that child may also need help and need to get connected to services,” said Goebert.

Goebert said they’re seeing an uptick in people calling for help.

From April 2022 to this past May, the hotline received 159,000 calls.

“So I want to turn that and say that’s a good thing, we want people to call and ask for help, and we want ultimately to have fewer deaths,” said Goebert.

She said the group also offers mobile outreach.

Over the last year, they’ve dispatched helpers 8,000 times.

“They can come and do an assessment at your home so somebody can show up and actually do that evaluation, if it’s not an emergency,” said Goebert. “And again, all of those are access through the same phone number locally.”

Experts say if you or someone you know is struggling, it’s OK to share your feelings and get help.

Call or text Hawaii’s 24-hour suicide and crisis hotline at 988.

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