Child recovering after falling from third-story apartment window, officials say

A child is expected to be OK after falling from a third-story apartment window in Pasco County Thursday.

Officials with Pasco County Fire Rescue said the 3-year-old boy was awake and recovering after being airlifted to the hospital as a trauma alert.

It happened at the Regency Palms Apartments in the 8200 block of Alnwick Circle.

"I heard the helicopter and I thought I heard somebody screaming," said Dominick Patterson, who lives across the street from the complex. "It's got to be a horror. Any family that has kids and something like this happens, it's such a horrible thing. You know what I'm saying? That's going to stay in your mind and then you're in the hospital. You got to wait, you got to see what's happening. It's just horrible, horrible. I really hope that it works out all right for the family. I'm going to pray for them."

Investigators say a babysitter was watching the child. They stepped away for just a few moments to use the restroom and that's when the boy managed to get to the open window. The boy leaned on the screen, which gave way and he fell to the ground.

Despite the long fall, officials said he did not suffer any broken bones.