THE FAMILY of a three year-old boy who plunged 20ft from a bedroom window and the whole community which "held its breath" while he was in hospital are now celebrating his return home. Everyone's prayers for Freddie Downing — in the aftermath of the fall on Christmas Day — have now been answered.

Christmas is the most exciting time of the year for children and most families look forward with eager anticipation to the unwrapping of presents, playing with new toys or games and sharing a special time with family and friends.

This was exactly the plan for the Downing family of Bradworthy, Andrea and Simon with Maisie (six years), Eden (four) and twins Freddie & Minnie (three). In a split second, however, all their plans changed when Eden came running down stairs saying that Freddie had fallen out of the bedroom window.

Mum, Andrea, rushed outside, her heart in her mouth.

She found Freddie lying on his tummy on the patio, having fallen about 20ft.

At that point he was moving and crying and Andrea gingerly picked him up, calling to her husband, Simon, to phone for an ambulance.

STRUGGLING

Freddie had only minor grazes but Andrea was concerned that he was very distressed and seemed to be struggling to open his eyes.

Landing the helicopter in a field just yards from the house, aircrew paramedics, Mark Langley and a colleague from Devon Air Ambulance's North Devon Airbase, arrived within minutes of the call.

They assessed little Freddie and, with concern that he may have fractured his skull, knew that he needed to be hospitalised for further tests.

Andrea was mightily relieved to learn that she could travel in the helicopter with her son and, leaving her three daughters behind being looked after by family, she set off to Derriford Hospital, with Simon following by car.

See this week's edition of the 'Post' for the full report, and a round up of the area news and sport.