Toddler climbs through window on third floor of apartment block

A toddler who climbed onto a narrow ledge three-storeys above the ground has been snatched to safety by a carer who did not see the nerve-wracking incident before it had already happened.

Video of the incident was filmed from a neighbouring apartment block in Guara II - a satellite city of Brazil's capital, Brasilia.

The footage shows the toddler clamber through the window and edge out onto the ledge.

The child teeters on the ledge for almost a minute before someone finally realises what has happened and yanks the child back to safety.

Local media reported social workers went to the apartment to speak to the family after seeing the video online.

"We went to see the family and spoke with the child's grandfather who is the owner of the flat," social service chief Leonardo Urcini said.

"He said that at the moment the incident happened he wasn’t at home and the child was being cared for by a domestic worker."

The grandfather has reportedly installed a protective mesh over the window since the incident.