Adventurous' toddler died after being crushed while 'climbing' chest of drawers

This is a sad story of the death of a toddler killed when a chest of drawers fell on him at his bedroom.

Mason Tipping, aged 22 months, was climbing up on his bedroom furniture when it toppled and fell on him at his hime in Colchester, Essex.

Mason's father Adrian, 29, rushed to his son's aid, lifting the chest of drawers before desperately doing first aid.

The toddler was rushed by ambulance to Colchester General Hospital but despite the continued efforts of medical staff, he was declared dead about 25 minutes after arrival.

Mason was found by his mother, Christine Tauchert, 22, when she went to get him ready for breakfast. Speaking at their home Mr Tipping, said: 'Usually we can hear the children playing from about six in the morning, but it was strangely quiet.

'Christine went into his room and I heard her scream. She was desperately trying to lift the chest of drawers off him, but it must have weighted at least 30kg because if was full of his clothes.

'I was doing mouth-to-mouth and chest compression, hoping for the best. He was looking up at me and his eyes were open but in my heart I think I knew he was dead'

Mason was rushed to Colchester General Hospital where a team of medics was waiting for his arrival.

Mr Tipping said: 'At that stage we were still hoping they would hand him back to us and say "he is okay", but the doctor came across and said "sorry, there is nothing we can do."

Having seen Mason use the chest of drawers like a ladder to climb up to get his teddies on the shelf above, Mr Tipping removed the bottom two drawers and screwed the draw fronst in as fascias.

But he now fears his efforts to prevent danger, could have tragically left the chest of drawers top-heavy, causing them to topple over. The drawers were about 3.5ft tall and made of pine-effect PVC.

He said: 'Mason was so full of life, he was always climbing and nothing would phase him. 'Thats why the drawers had been fastened shut but we think he may have pulled out the third draw up and fallen head first into the gap.

'It keeps running through my mind that what I did caused the drawers to fall, it is a horrible feeling.'

The one thing this story taught me is, to be very conscious of everything in the when there is a toddler in. For a child to die in a home is a tragedy that would stay with the parents for a very long time, especially when it could have been avoided.

This is a lesson for all of us who are parents.

The drawer has since been destroyed.