British tourist Helen Beard catches balcony fall baby

 

A British woman on holiday in Florida caught a baby who fell from a third-floor hotel balcony on Thursday night.

Jah-Nea Myles, 16 months, was uninjured after apparently slipping through the balcony railing and falling into the arms of Helen Beard, from Worksop.

Ms Beard, 44, told police she had been at the pool at the Econo Lodge hotel in Orlando when she saw the baby hanging from the railing and ran underneath.

She held the child until emergency medical workers arrived.

Screaming heard

The baby was taken to hospital, where medical staff said they saw no bruises or scratches and deemed her in good health.

An investigator with the Orange County sheriff's office described her as "playful" and said she was not crying.

Helena Myles, Jah-Nea's 20-year-old mother, told police her friend Dominique Holt had been watching the baby in the adjacent hotel room.

Ms Holt, 21, said she went to the bathroom about 2100 local time (0100 GMT), then heard screaming and saw the balcony door ajar.

She ran out onto the balcony and saw the baby in the arms of Ms Beard, from Nottinghamshire.

Police said no criminal charges were pending.

Orlando is a popular destination for holidaymakers, with Walt Disney World and other tourist attractions.