A tragic accident took the life of a two-year-old boy Friday outside one of the many statuary/art/tchotchke shops along Jefferson Street at Fisherman's Wharf. The boy, whose family was visiting from Utah, climbed a metal dolphin statue that was standing on the sidewalk outside Majestic Collection Art Gallery at 225 Jefferson Street on Friday afternoon. Wrapping himself around it, he caused the statue to fall over on top of him, and his six-year-old sister was unable to catch it because of the statue's weight, as KTVU and others are reporting.
The boy, Kayson Shelton, appeared okay immediately afterward and was treated for a bloody nose by emergency personnel, but he was then taken to S.F. General as a precaution where his condition quickly worsened. He died from internal injuries at 3:40 p.m. Friday.
C.W. Nevius brings up the fact that merchants along that stretch of Jefferson have been repeatedly warned by police about putting statues and sculptures past a blue line that marks the public sidewalk. Police will be investigating via some security camera footage of the incident. In the Google Street View image here, you can see a dolphin sculpture that may or may not be the same one involved in the incident.
The family has released a statement about the incident, and there's now a memorial website where donations can be made.
They say, "The last words he spoke in this life were 'I love you.' Such a beautiful and loving child, and while we are greatly comforted in the knowledge that families are forever, we will dearly miss his smiling face until then."
