Tom Stilwell survives 15th floor fall in New Zealand

Tom Stilwell from UK has survived a fall from the 15th floor of a building in New Zealand, local media report.

Tom Stilwell fell from his neighbor’s balcony in his apartment block in Auckland at 02:00 local time on Sunday, reports said.

Police said the 20-year-old man discovered he was locked out of his 14th floor unit in the Volt Apartment building in downtown Auckland.

He had been trying to lower himself onto his balcony, which was directly below his neighbor’s.

Geraldine Bautista on the 15th floor balcony from which she tried unsuccessfully to save Tom Stilwell who fell 13 floors outside the Volt apartment block in downtown

Tom Stilwell decided to try and scale down the outside of the building from an apartment directly above his. Police said he was trying to land on his balcony when he fell, landing on the roof of an adjacent building far below.

He was at first listed in critical condition but had improved Monday to a satisfactory condition.

Tom Still’s friends said that he had bone fractures and internal injuries, but was “fine” and “a very lucky man”.

He is said to be in New Zealand on a working holiday.

Tom Stilwell discovered he was locked out of his flat early on Sunday, and asked a neighbor if he could climb down from her balcony into his flat, his friends said.

The neighbor, Geraldine Bautista, told the New Zealand Herald that Tom Stilwell was “a little tipsy” but polite.

“I wasn’t scared of him – he just requested <<Can you please let me jump off from the balcony? I will not bother you, just let me use your balcony>>.”

“I never thought he would really do that. In my mind I thought <<Okay, I’ll just let you see that it’s really impossible>>. I didn’t think he’d jump, because it’s really scary.”

However, he quickly pulled himself over the balcony railing before she could stop him, Geraldine Bautista said.

Tom Stilwell’s fall was broken by the roof of an adjacent building, reportedly some 13 floors below.

Dr. Tony Smith, a medical director at St John, an emergency healthcare organization, told the New Zealand Herald that a person’s chances of survival were increased if they were able to break their fall on something.

However, “survival from falls of that height are extraordinarily unusual”, but that the roof of the low-rise building far below likely broke Tom Stilwell’s fall enough to save his life, he said.