The day after a young boy tragically fell to his death in Metro Vancouver, parents are being urged to check their homes for potential safety risks. 

The four-year-old fell from a third-floor window at a Langley townhouse Thursday afternoon. First responders tried desperately to help, rushing the little boy to Royal Columbian Hospital, but he couldn’t be saved.

On Friday, the B.C. Ambulance Service offered condolences to the child’s grieving loved ones.

“It’s a horrible, horrible accident and we’re so very sorry for the families, for the responders, for the community,” said unit chief Marilyn Oberg.

The boy was the fourth child to fall from a window so far this year in B.C. On average, the province sees 15 such accidents annually, the vast majority happening in the summer months when bedroom windows are left open for ventilation.

In light of this week’s tragedy, emergency officials issued an urgent warning to parents, hoping it will serve as a reminder of the everyday dangers that can be lurking in homes.

Lisa Roman, head trauma nurse at BC Children’s Hospital, said securing windows is a must, and that even windows that seem out-of-reach for young kids can pose a risk.

“Children want to see, they want to look,” she said. “They are very curious. They will push things nearby to climb up and take a look out.”

Because children’s heads are the heaviest parts of their bodies, they often fall head-first, Roman added. That can cause skull fractures, brain injuries and other significant harm.

Experts also urged parents not to treat window screens as protection. They can easily be popped out of place, even by a young child, and should never be relied on as a safety measure.

“Screen guards are just to prevent bugs from entering. You need to have actual window locks to make sure your windows don’t open more than four inches or 10 centimetres,” said Dr. Shelina Babul of Preventable BC.

Health officials recommend families install window safety devices, even cheap window locks, to prevent devastating falls, and to never leave children unattended on balconies or higher-floor rooms with open windows.

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Shannon Paterson