St Kevin’s student suffers fractures in freak school balcony fall

A student from St Kevin’s College in Toorak was rushed to hospital with multiple fractures after a balcony accident at the all-boys school on Friday morning.

The teenage boy was on the year 7 and 8 deck during recess when the incident occurred at the college’s senior school campus, Heyington.

The student was rushed to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a serious but stable condition at about 11.20am.

A school spokesperson, who described the boy’s condition as “responsive” immediately after the fall, said the student’s parents had been contacted.

In a message shared with staff in the afternoon, the school confirmed the boy had sustained fractures to his wrist, leg and collarbone and remained at the Royal Children’s Hospital with his family by his side.

No other students were injured in the incident, which occurred on a decked area that had been furnished with concrete benches. The deck was added to the 1980s-era building in the 2000s.

Worksafe officers inspect items at St Kevin’s school at Toorak on FridayCredit: Jason South

“The incident has been reported and emergency services are on campus as part of this process,” the school spokesperson said in a statement.

“We are mindful that some staff and students witnessed the event and we will continue supporting them.”

The school organised counsellors to be on site in the afternoon to support students and staff in the school’s chapel.

Access to an atrium at one of the main buildings near reception was cordoned off across three levels on Friday afternoon as detectives and WorkSafe investigators inspected a bike storage area on the ground floor.

Officers at the scene could be seen inspecting what appeared to be three small pieces of timber decking on the concrete floor.

The balcony stretches over a sloping, grassed hill which varies the height of the drop until it reaches a fenced off area containing bike racks and electrical equipment.

Classes continued following the morning’s drama with staff stationed at the main gate and the pedestrian bridge linking the school’s boat sheds to the main campus, as students slowly made their way out of the grounds after 3pm.

The latest school scare comes just ten days after a major incident at Auburn South Primary School in Hawthorn East.

WorkSafe officers tape off an area at St Kevin’s on Friday afternoon.Credit: Marta Pascual Juanola

There, a driver attempting a U-turn ploughed through the school fence, killing 11-year-old student Jack Davey and putting four other children in hospital.

One former St Kevin’s College parent said it wasn’t unusual for families to have a connection to both schools, with some students starting primary school at Auburn South before moving to St Kevin’s to complete their secondary education.

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