The Medway boy died after falling from the ninth floor of the condominium complex balcony.
Wilcox said a family member had given Hunter some M&M candies and turned on a show for him to watch while the family was in the other room unpacking. That’s when she said a “nightmare” happened.
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“He had gotten out a locked front door and manged to get to the balcony by the elevators,” Wilcox said.
Hunter was rushed to Bay Medical Center, but doctors at the hospital could not save the toddler.
“You never think something like this could happen to you,” Wilcox said.
Members of the family, through a GoFundMe page created to help cover Hunter’s funeral expenses, appear to suggest they believe the accident could have been prevented.
“Our boy Hunter Cole Wilcox lost his life to a tragic accident on July 27, 2019, due to no child-proof locks on a condo door nine stories high in the air,” the GoFundMe’s bio states.
As of Tuesday afternoon Hunter's GoFundMe had raised $3,665 out of the $5,000 goal.
Wilcox said the family checked the condo room for safety concerns right after the group arrived.
“We checked under the sinks, made sure all the doors were locked and nothing harmful was anywhere near the children. But no one ever tells you to make sure,” Wilcox said. “I mean it’s a lock, it shouldn’t come undone so easily.”
Marisol Condominiums, where the family was staying, released a short statement following the incident.
“The loss of a child is heartbreaking and this tragedy has devastated us all,” the statement said. “We will refrain from further comment on this matter.”
Panama City police officials said more information will be released once their investigation is complete.
Wilcox said Hunter was, “the light of our lives.”
“He was so playful, sweet, caring and stubborn,” Wilcox said. “He was only truly described as an angel, stubborn but an angel.”
Hunter is the second area child to die while on vacation this summer at a condominium in Panama City.
MORE: Northridge Elementary School student dies from possible drowning
Merrick Dillard, a student who had recently completed fifth grade at Northridge Elementary School in Springfield, drowned at Landmark Condominiums in early June.
Police attempted life-saving measures on Dillard, but he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, WJHG-TV reported.
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