Exclusive: Mother Of Boy Who Fell Through Subway Grate In Brooklyn Says Son Is Shaken But Recovering
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The mother of a boy who fell through a subway grate in a Brooklyn playground says her son is shaken and still recovering.
After near tragedy, Deycy Garcia Cardoso is shocked but grateful.
"I'm glad he's alive," she told CBS2's Nick Caloway.
Her 11-year-old son, Jayden Cardoso, was playing at the Rudd Playground in Bushwick on Wednesday when he fell through a subway grate that was accidentally left open.
"I just didn't have time to tell him 'stop.' He fell right down," Garcia Cardoso said.
The fall was at least 15 feet.
Luckily, Jayden did not land on the tracks.
His mom saw him lying below, injured and scared.
"I couldn't help him. I wanted to throw myself with him down there," Garcia Cardoso said.
Family, friends and strangers climbed down to the boy, bringing him up.
Jayden had cuts, bruises and broken bones.
"My son is... thank God he's OK. He's brave, he's strong," Garcia Cardoso said.
It's believed the boy went into a gated-off area through a section of peeled-back fence. A complaint about the fencing was reportedly submitted to the city two hours before the accident.
Jayden's mom said the fence and the subway grate should have never been left open.
"It's a playground, it's for kids. It's not safe there," Garcia Cardoso said.
Jayden is still in the hospital recovering but is expected to be OK.
Garcia Cardoso said if the boy had fallen into one of the other grates, he would have landed on the subway tracks below and her son might not be here today.
CBS2's Nick Caloway contributed to this report.
