Man has lucky escape after jump from market building

A Kingstown resident, who jumped from the top floor of the Kingstown Vegetable Market on Tuesday, luckily escaped with his life.{{more}}

Andrew Morthley had gone to the top floor of the market to give assistance to mas band Melbourne Artisans, which has set up camp there, in preparation for Vincy Mas 2013.

According to Gailene Simmons, Morthley’s common-law wife, it was the first time Morthley had gone to the top floor of the market and without telling anyone, he took the opportunity to take a tour.

“He went up there to help them out and when they locked up they thought everybody had already left.

“So they lock the door with he still inside,” Simmons told SEARCHLIGHT, as she hustled back to the hospital just after 8:30 p.m., the night of the incident.

The incident took place shortly after 7 p.m.

Morthley, a 45-year-old Paul’s Avenue resident, said when he realised he was locked in, he started shouting for help, but “his loud cries for help were not heard,” or so he believed.

Faced with the option of spending the night in the market, or jumping to the ground level of the three-storey structure, Morthely chose to jump, breaking the cuboid bone in his right foot.

“The guy who locks up said he heard the shouting, but he had to go get the key for the door on the top floor,” Morthley said.

“He (security officer) running to go help he (Morthley), but he nah answer the man and by the time he reach, Andrew done find a window and jump,” Simmons said.

Morthley was released from the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital on Wednesday.

SEARCHLIGHT visited the carpenter at his home yesterday.

He was resting in bed, watching cricket with his foot elevated and placed in a cast.

“I just didn’t want to stay in there, so I try going out the open window,” Morthley related.

“Good thing my left foot hooked up, because I landed on the step flat on my right foot hard and broke the bone, but is the left one that got hooked up saved me from dropping over.

“God is good man,” Morthley added.

Morthely is scheduled to see an orthopaedic specialist on Monday for futher tests on his foot. (AA)