Woman saves baby from 3 story plunge

**Ducky** · 10-02-06, 02:22 PM

Passer-by catches baby in 3-story fall
The 9-month-old, left alone by young babysitters, was dangling from a railing before losing her grip.

By Felisa Cardona
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com

The baby girl's tiny hand was wrapped around the third-floor railing of a Denver condominium complex, her feet dangling over the sidewalk below.

Mary Bussey and her son Brandon, who were on their way to his football game Saturday afternoon, saw the baby hovering above their heads.

The 9-month-old girl was crying, left alone while she was supposed to be in the care of her 13- and 10-year-old uncles, Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said Sunday.

The baby's teenage mother left the girl with her brothers while she went to work Saturday, Jackson said.

The boys wandered off and left the front door open, allowing the baby to crawl out onto the railing at the Shadow Wood condominiums at 3141 S. Tamarac Drive.

"I thought someone was hanging on to the baby from the other side," Bussey said. "I thought, 'What a rotten trick."'

But Bussey quickly realized that there was no trick and nobody was holding on to the baby.

Bussey told 13-year-old Brandon to run up the stairs and grab the baby before she fell. Bussey positioned herself under the railing.

"Her little fist was the only thing hanging on. The poor little thing could not hold on anymore," Bussey said.

Brandon didn't make it to the third floor. As the baby let go of the railing, Bussey put out her arms.

"I was very scared," Bussey said. "All I could say was, 'Don't drop. Don't drop."'

The little girl fell, and Bussey caught her.

"It's a really weird feeling having a baby fall in your arms," she said. "I held her to my body and hugged her. She completely stopped crying."

Bussey yelled for a neighbor to call the police.

"It really breaks my heart being a mom and having a kid fall like that," she said. "I was pretty ticked off. I was angry this little girl was all by herself."

Brandon was relieved that his mother caught the baby. He was trying to make it to the third floor in time when he looked down and saw the baby land in his mother's arms.

"She's pretty cool," Brandon said of his mom.

Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman thanked Brandon and his mother Sunday with framed letters of commendation, movie and dinner passes and baseball caps filled with candy.

"You did what we expect heroes to do, and we appreciate that," Whitman told Bussey and her son.

Bussey said the baby's mother briefly thanked her for catching the girl and asked Bussey to explain how it happened.

"She was a strong, strong little girl to hang on like that," Bussey said.

Police declined to identify the mother and child because they are juveniles.

After the fall, paramedics examined the baby and found no injuries. The girl was taken to Denver Health Medical Center for an evaluation and placed in the care of the Denver Department of Human Services.

On Sunday, the child was returned to her mother because the mother did have a babysitter - her 13-year-old brother - assigned to watch the girl, Whitman said.

Investigators are trying to determine if criminal charges should be filed, and Human Services will try to help the family by monitoring them and providing parenting education.

**conalabu** · 10-02-06, 03:25 PM

Guess it is a good thing she didn't spike the kid after a sweet catch, huh?

CopsRCool302 · 10-02-06, 03:28 PM

WOW, poor little thing!

CopsRCool302 · 10-02-06, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by conalabu

Guess it is a good thing she didn't spike the kid after a sweet catch, huh?

hahahaah, Only you would say that con

**gozling** · 10-02-06, 03:42 PM

yeah.. lets all make sure we dont press any charges and do the right touchy feeling f***ing thing...

assign parenting classes...

yeahhhhhhhhh that always helps alot!

*rolls eyes*

gessh this pissed me off lol

CopsRCool302 · 10-02-06, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by gozling

yeah.. lets all make sure we dont press any charges and do the right touchy feeling f***ing thing...

assign parenting classes...

yeahhhhhhhhh that always helps alot!

*rolls eyes*

gessh this pissed me off lol

I am with you on that sister!

**L.E. Psych** · 10-02-06, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by gozling

yeah.. lets all make sure we dont press any charges and do the right touchy feeling f***ing thing...

assign parenting classes...

yeahhhhhhhhh that always helps alot!

*rolls eyes*

gessh this pissed me off lol

You need a license to drive a car. You need a license to get married. You need a license to carry a gun. Etc..... Why the hell is it you don't need a license to have children???? Obviously this child was and is not ready to be a parent. Obviously her brothers were too irresponsible to be left incharge to babysit. All of this could have been avoided if her parents had been denied a license to breed. There are some out in the gene pool that "their line" should end immediately.

But then again if it were a perfect world with perfect parents we would not have the need for LEO's. Stupid people are to be valued as "job security". All joking aside, they need to remove that baby from the child mother and the actual parent/grandparents should be evaluated as well.

Thank God the lady was passing when she did and she was able to catch that poor little baby. The whole thing just makes me want to

,

, and

.

**SRT Sniper** · 10-02-06, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by L.E. Psych

You need a license to drive a car. You need a license to get married. You need a license to carry a gun. Etc..... Why the hell is it you don't need a license to have children???? Obviously this child was and is not ready to be a parent. Obviously her brothers were too irresponsible to be left incharge to babysit. All of this could have been avoided if her parents had been denied a license to breed. There are some out in the gene pool that "their line" should end immediately.

But then again if it were a perfect world with perfect parents we would not have the need for LEO's. Stupid people are to be valued as "job security". All joking aside, they need to remove that baby from the child mother and the actual parent/grandparents should be evaluated as well.

Thank God the lady was passing when she did and she was able to catch that poor little baby. The whole thing just makes me want to

,

, and

.

ESP!!!