X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Toddler crushed to death by drawers sheds light on need for child-proofing

12 Jan, 2016

When a two-year-old boy has died after being crushed by a chest of drawers, it raised a lot of concerns all over the internet about the importance of child-proofing the home.

Archie Tafts was at home in Cloughmills, Ireland being watched over by a relative along with six-year-old brother. It was barely two weeks after Christmas.

His mom Nicola was at work and his father Phillip was not at home at the time of the fatal accident which resulted in a tragic end to his young life.

He was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment but unfortunately, doctors could not revive him.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokeswoman told the Mirror, “The police are aware of this situation. As would be normal procedure with any sudden death, a report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.”

The death has been classified as suspicious.

A source told the Mirror, “The family will need a lot of help to get through the practicalities of this awful situation, never mind the emotional turmoil they will be in. They will of course be dealt with most gently by the staff at the Coroner’s Office, who sadly are used to dealing tragedies of this type.

“They have gone from enjoying a wonderful Christmas to utter, dreadful, devastating tragedy.”

Senseless deaths due to falling drawers

This wasn’t the only accident due to home furniture.

Last October 2015, a child died in Australia named Reef Quartermaine died, after being crushed by drawers.

It was assumed that the child had tried to climb the drawers, causing them all to fall on him.

His mom told Yahoo News, “I pulled him out and I thought, ‘dear God, please don’t be dead. He was still warm and I just walked down that driveway thinking, ‘he’s not gone, he’s not gone’.”

Though paramedics and doctors worked together to revive the toddler; all their efforts were all in vain. She recalls pulling him close to her, knowing he was gone.

Reef’s father, Jason, was away working on a mine site when he got the call saying his son had died in a freak accident. “Even though it’s only an hour and 20 minutes, it seemed like hours.”

Both of them shared their heartbreaking experience with Yahoo, hoping their story will help other parents keep even the most mundane objects in their homes safe for their kids.

Jason said, “Go around your house, have a look, just think outside the box and think what could happen. If they can pull it down, bolt it back. If this message has the chance of saving one kid’s life it’s worth it.”

Watch this informative video on how to anchor furniture in order to protect your children. This is important for those with young children who are just learning how to walk and climb.

It’s both shocking and saddening how many deaths could have been prevented with proper child-proofing of the home.

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. 

Partner Stories
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Bianchi Mendoza

  • Home
  • /
  • News
  • /
  • Toddler crushed to death by drawers sheds light on need for child-proofing
Share:
  • Toddler's Near-fatal Accident Shows Importance of Childproofing Drawers

    Toddler's Near-fatal Accident Shows Importance of Childproofing Drawers

  • Home Alone

    Home Alone

  • Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

    Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

  • Toddler's Near-fatal Accident Shows Importance of Childproofing Drawers

    Toddler's Near-fatal Accident Shows Importance of Childproofing Drawers

  • Home Alone

    Home Alone

  • Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

    Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.