A 10-year-old boy has died after being crushed by an elevator at a school for disabled children.
Emergency services tried to remove the boy but he died at the scene at St. Lucy’s School in Sydney, Australia.
The school in Wahroonga, a suburb of the city, went into lockdown after the boy was found at around 2 p.m. local time on Wednesday and police were alerted. The school described the boy as a “beautiful student.”
St. Lucy’s, which is a Catholic Dominican school for children with a range of conditions, including severe intellectual disability, autism, and sensory impairments, will remain closed until further notice. A local lawmaker said the community was in “significant distress.”
In a statement, the New South Wales Police Force said: “Officers attached to Kuring-Gai Police Area Command arrived to find a 10-year-old boy trapped under a lift (elevator).
“Fire and Rescue NSW attempted to remove the boy, however, he died at the scene. Police have established a crime scene and a recovery operation is continuing. A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.”
St. Lucy’s School confirmed the death in a Wednesday Facebook post and said staff were cooperating with police.
“The school will be closed to students until further notice. We ask for privacy and space for our students, families, and staff to grieve at this difficult time as we remember our beautiful student,” the statement added.
Newsweek has contacted the New South Wales Police Force and St Lucy’s School for comment via its website and email, respectively.
Pauline Gill, who has a child at the school, said students were confined to classrooms following the incident and that parents were asked to collect their children.
“We just got a text to say the school taxis and pick-up wasn’t going to proceed as normal due to a medical incident,” she told The Sydney Morning Herald. “When I spoke to his teacher in food tech, she said no one could leave the school at that point, that was about 3:15 p.m.”
Community Reaction: ‘Significant Distress’
Paul Fletcher, Liberal Member of Parliament for Bradfield, an electoral division just north of Sydney, said he was “deeply saddened.”
“On behalf of the people of Bradfield, I extend my sincerest condolences to the family of the young boy, his friends, and teachers. St. Lucy’s is a wonderful school which educates and cares for children with disability.
“It justifiably is a much-loved institution, and the lives of many children and their families have been greatly enriched by their time at the school. Having visited St. Lucy’s on multiple occasions, I know that this sad incident will be a source of significant distress to the school community.”
Bishop Anthony Randazzo of the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay, which encompasses Sydney and much of the surrounding area, said: “My thoughts and prayers are with the family for the loss of their child and the community of St. Lucy’s who mourn the loss of a student and friend.
“We will provide any support that may be needed. Meantime, I ask all in our community to join me in offering prayers at this very sad time.”
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