Family of Charlotte boy killed in Atlanta restaurant sets up memorial fund

ATLANTA — Channel 9 has learned more about a 5-year-old Charlotte boy killed in a rotating restaurant in Atlanta.

The family of Charlie Holt has described the boy as the most accepting and lovable child.

In a statement, they went on to say "he never met a person or an animal whom he did not immediately love. Everyone was his friend. His thirst for knowledge and adventure was infectious."

Holt died after sustaining a head injury at the Sun Dial Restaurant at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, police said.

Investigators said the boy got his head stuck between two tables and suffered a head injury Friday at the Sun Dial, which sits atop the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel.

He was taken to Grady Hospital with major head trauma, where he was pronounced dead. His family was in town from Charlotte, police said.

The restaurant, which is closed until further notice, is on the 72nd floor.

The family was seated at a window table, and at some point the child wandered away, police said. The boy became lodged between the wall and a table as the dining area rotated.

The rotating floor automatically shut off and Westin's security staff and employees were able to dislodge the child.

The child suffered critical injuries, however, and later died at the hospital, police said.

"The family asks for prayers and privacy right now to come to terms with this tragedy," a family spokesperson said. "No words can express their loss."

The hotel manager, George Reed, released the following statement:

"There was a tragic accident at the hotel involving a young boy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

"As soon as we learned of the accident, we immediately responded until emergency personnel arrived. We are working with the authorities as they look into this tragic accident and we will continue to assist them in any way we can. Words cannot express the depths of our sorrow. Our thoughts remain with the family."

(Charlie Holt)

The Sun Dial, an iconic restaurant that opened in 1976, features a revolving restaurant, a rotating cocktail lounge and an observatory level that offers a 360-degree panorama of the skyline from 723 feet above the ground, according to its website.

A restaurant representative with the hotel says the Sun Dial will be closed until further notice.

The Holt family has set up a memorial fund in his honor. They said it would allow children to fulfill the dreams that Charlie was unable to experience.

The Charlie Holt Memorial Fund

Towne Bank

5806 Harbourview Blvd., Suite 201

Suffolk , VA 23435

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