Sky-Diving Elf Knocks Girl From Mom’s Arms

A sky-diving Christmas elf blown off course knocked a 1-year-old girl out of her mother’s arms as he landed outside a shopping mall Friday. The baby suffered serious head injuries.

Hundreds of people saw the accident during holiday festivities outside the Norwalk Square shopping mall.

The girl was in serious condition at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, spokesman Steve Rutledge said. She suffered several skull fractures and had some bleeding around the brain, Dr. Craig Elderry told KABC-TV.

The girl initially didn’t respond to touch and couldn’t move the right side of her body, but was more responsive hours after the accident.

The costumed sky diver, who was not injured, was part of a team participating in the city’s sixth annual Jingle Bell Jump to kick off the shopping season. Strong winds blew all but one of the sky divers off course.

The sky diver also struck a 21-year-old woman who is two months pregnant. She was hospitalized for back pain.