A heavily pregnant woman who died after falling 17 storeys from a tower block in Leeds has been named.
Emma Acko “fell from a height” on Tuesday morning. West Yorkshire Police said the mum died at the scene. Her unborn child was saved and taken to hospital where it remains in critical condition.
Tributes have started pouring in since she was named, among them her cousin, on social media, the Mirror reports.
Commenting on Facebook, Sarah Whapham said: “A call I was not expecting this morning has left us in complete shock. Emma you had the biggest personality & the biggest heart. My beautiful cousin rest peacefully.” Another post from Megan Moore remembered her as a “beautiful lady”.
She wrote: “Rest in peace you beautiful lady. I cannot believe I’m actually writing this. Always a beautiful soul in and out…Thinking of your children at home and praying for your baby girl in hospital will be okay. Another woman posting on Facebook said: “Absolutely devastating news today, I can’t believe it, been sat crying all afternoon.”
She added: “Sending love n hugs to everyone at this sad time RIP Emma Acko.” Another said: “Rest in peace Emma Acko my heart is breaking for everyone will always remember your bubbly self.” And one man added: “Rest In Peace Emma Acko … you we’re and still always will be an amazing woman no matter what we always had a proper good laugh and good times together.
Another friend wrote: “Emma Acko oh my heart I can’t believe it I’ve been in denial all day, I am broke, one of the best, I honestly can’t put into words the pain in my heart for you and your kids it’s just devastating.” And one friend added: “RIP Emma Acko, a beautiful soul gone far too soon…thinking of your children and family at this sad time…sleep tight sweet girl.”
“I’ll cherish the memories and sleep tight.” Local councillor Luke Farley said in a statement that the incident was “deeply distressing”, adding that he and his Labour colleagues “pass on our sincere condolences to the loved ones of the person who has died”. West Yorkshire Police said in a statement earlier today that officers were called to the scene in Burmantofts at around 10.30am on Tuesday by the ambulance service, and that there were no “suspicious circumstances” surrounding the death.
The statement reads: “At 10.24am today, police were contacted by the ambulance service who had been called to an incident where a woman had fallen from height at Shakespeare Towers, in Shakespeare Approach, Burmantofts. The woman died at the scene as a result of her injuries. There were no suspicious circumstances and the Coroner’s Office has been informed.
“The woman, aged in her thirties, was in the late stage of pregnancy and her baby was delivered at hospital after the incident and is receiving critical care.”
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