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Lakeland toddler dies after dresser falls on him

Conner DeLong was only 2 years old
Posted at 9:51 AM, May 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-19 18:03:48-04

Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about an unresponsive two-year-old in Lakeland on Sunday.

The child, Conner DeLong, was found by his mother that morning underneath a dresser that had fallen over. 

She checked on him and his brother in their shared bedroom at 11:30 p.m. the night before and both were sleeping in their cribs.

She heard Conner's voice approximately five minutes before entering his room and finding him underneath the fallen dresser, unresponsive.

The mother told deputies that over the past week, Conner had been taking the baby monitor off the top of the dresser, so she had moved it to the window sill behind the dresser.

RELATED | 5 child safety tips for a toddler's room

She advised he gets out of his crib on his own. It is believed that on this particular morning, he got out of his crib on his own, and was attempting to climb up on the dresser to get to the baby monitor on the window sill behind it when the dresser fell on him.

Conner died on Monday at St. Joseph Children's Hospital.

Although sad, experts say this kind of accident can be prevented.

"A lot of parents think well I’ve got a heavy piece of furniture, it’ll never tip over, which isn’t the case," said Daniel Leeds, with Full House Baby Proofing.

Leeds sees the dangers in homes everyday through the Tampa Bay area.

"I don’t think it’s possible to watch your children 24-7. It’s not realistic. To have furniture strapped to the wall, to make it a safe environment is most important," he said.
 
Conner's memorial service will be held at 12 p.m. on Friday at the Lakeland Funeral Home. To send sympathy flowers, click here.

For more information on how to babyproof your home, visit www.fullhousebabyproofing.com.