Click on title to link to this tragic story published on July 6, 2012 about a four-year old boy who was crushed to death after the tombstone he was holding toppled on him during a picture taking event hosted by his father, who is a part-time photographer. This report is linked to the online news source "ABC News" courtesy of the Associated Press.
Sadly, this happens more frequently than we may realize. Children playing in cemeteries have a tendency to play around and 'hide behind' the tallest tombstones. Unfortunately, those are the very tombstones that are the ones that, if toppled over, will either seriously injure or even kill a child. Parents and guardians have to be extremely aware of this possibility. Never trust a tombstone to stay stable as even a small child's push or pull could topple it over on the child or someone else.
If you have ever tried to pick up even a small marble marker you know it is heavy. Please keep that in mind and imagine just how heavy the weight would be from a falling six-foot tall marble, stone, or granite monument as it crashes to the ground. Even an adult may not survive such a horrific event.
I don't wish to discourage parents from taking their children to visit cemeteries so they can learn to respect them, but please exercise extreme caution and keep the child close to you and hold their hand. Please don't allow them to wander off and touch or hold the stones. It is only inviting trouble.
