Girl Falls Off Sky Ride At Six Flags, Man & Daughter Catch Her

Several good Samaritans saved a 14-year-old from serious injury, or potentially, death, by catching her as she fell 25 feet from an amusement park ride.

The unidentified girl was dangling from the ‘Sky Ride’ at the Six Flags amusement park in Queensbury, New York, about 60 miles north of Albany, when the ride stopped after the operator heard that there was a rider in distress.

A crowd gathered below the girl, whose brother, in the car with her, said that he could no longer hold on. Some of the first to get below the girl were Matthew Howard Sr., 47, and his daughter Leeann Winchell, 21. While several other people gathered and prepared to catch the girl, other onlookers filmed or called for help, according to CBS News.

Howard told the girl to fall and promised he’d catch her. When she couldn’t hold on any longer, Howard and Winchell were there to stop the fall. Howard, a contractor from Schenectady, New York, took the brunt of the fall and was taken to the Albany Medical Center for a minor back injury. The girl, who is from Greenwood, Delaware, was also taken to the Albany Medical Center in stable condition and without any injury, according to the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.

“I couldn’t let that little girl die,” Howard told reporters. “No one wants to put himself underneath a body like that, but I couldn’t stand by and watch.”

Howard’s daughter, was also happy to help. “I’m just glad we could be there to help. We were in the right place at the right time,” Winchell said. She is applying to be a nurse and visited the girl in the hospital on Sunday, according to CBS News.

The ride was shut down for the remainder of the day and inspected for any technical malfunctions but appeared to be in working order. Rides like ‘Sky Ride’ have, in general, a very good safety record.

“There does not appear to be any malfunction of the ride, but we have closed the attraction until a thorough review can be completed,” a park official said in a statement.

“We are reviewing our internal procedures to ensure the safety and security of our guests and team members,” the official concluded.

The ride will remain closed at least until the review of the park’s internal procedures has been completed.