John Sampson, a history visitor at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania, demonstrated amazing bravery. He saved a terrified child who wandered onto the monorail’s track. The situation developed Saturday evening and video of the encounter is circulating on social media. Commenters were amazed by Sampson’s quick thinking, and the dramatic video soon went viral.
Sampson had a perfect day at the park with his new family. Then, all at once, he saw a child crossing the former monorail track, now grown over with grass. The pit was fenced with chains and barricades, but the young girl was able to enter it for some reason. Sampson knew it was a volatile situation and quickly jumped into action. So he dashed up onto the roof of an adjacent concession stand to get eyes on it.
I was 10 feet in the air when I heard someone yell ‘John?! Sampson remembered. In that space, I found my mind to be calm enough to digest it all.
When another bystander climbed up on the roof of the concession stand, he provided even more help to rescue. That’s why it took Sampson just seconds to run from his podium to the monorail. Without hesitating, he bent to embrace the boy, who excitedly jumped into his arms.
So, when I finally had him in my arms, really, there are just no words,” he told us. I was just saying, ‘I’m just so glad,’ you know, ‘I got you. You’re fine, you’re fine.
Sampson’s fatherly instincts kicked in as he focused solely on ensuring the child’s safety. A child walking you know on the rail of the monorail road, and of course, oh no, panic sort of kicks in a little bit,” he added. “When you have that kind of dad instinct, it doesn’t matter if it’s your kid or not; it’s a child that you want to make sure they’re safe as possible.”
Once he successfully retrieved the boy, Sampson faced yet another challenge: safely getting down from the roof. With only a touch of irony, he remarked, “Alright, now how do I come down from here? The gravity of the moment did not match his jocular demeanor.
Park officials reported that the child was safely reunited with his family at approximately 5:28 p.m. after the dramatic incident. They were appreciative of Sampson’s vigilance and were relieved by the quick action taken by their own team.
“Our guests’ safety is our highest priority,” said Hersheypark officials. We thank our guests for looking out. Protecting the safety of our guests has always and will continue to be our top priority at Hersheypark.
Days later, Sampson looked back on what he did that day. He was quick to make clear, though, that he wasn’t the only hero in the rescue. He’s convinced that there’s a part for everyone to play in taking care of each other.
“It didn’t bother me up there because I was just concentrating on one thing, and I didn’t hesitate on any of it,” he stated.
Sampson wants his story to be a reminder that the community’s support is crucial during a crisis.
