It’s not every day you get the chance to save someone’s life, but that certainly seems to have been the case for a group of by-standers at a New York amusement park this weekend.
Visitors to Six Flags Great Escape Amusements sprang into action on Saturday, when a 14-year-old girl slipped from a gondola ride and was left dangling about 25 feet off the ground.
The unidentified girl was in the ride with her younger brother when she slipped. Passers-by found the teen hanging from the ride by her arms, having been alerted by the siblings’ screams.
One member of the public caught the incident on camera, and people can be heard urging security to intervene. Eventually, the ride stopped – but the teen could not hold on for much longer.
According to the Associated Press, a group of people – including father-daughter duo Matthew Howard and 21-year-old Leeann Winchell – stood beneath the ride, poised to catch the teen.
Video footage captured the crowd of people safely catching her, with Matthew and Leeann bearing the brunt of the fall.
The teen is said to have been treated on the scene, before being rushed to a nearby hospital. She did not endure any serious injuries, apparently. Matthew, meanwhile, was treated for minor back injury.
Speaking to the AP after the frightening incident, Matthew said: “I couldn’t let that little girl die. No one wants to put himself underneath a body like that, but I couldn’t stand by and watch.”
Park officials have been unable to work out exactly how the teen fell out of her seat, but they have confirmed that – following an inspection – the Sky Ride is functioning properly.
A rep released the following statement: “There does not appear to be any malfunction of the ride, but we have closed the attraction until a thorough review can be completed.
“We are reviewing our internal procedures to ensure the safety and security of our guests and team members.”
Well done to everyone who helped to ensure that this teen was caught as safely as possible. Thank heavens no one was seriously injured.
