QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (AP) — A teenager fell about 25 feet (about 8 meters) from a stopped gondola ride at an upstate New York amusement park Saturday night, tumbling into a crowd of park guests and employees gathered below to catch her before she hit the ground.
The unidentified 14-year-old girl from Greenwood, Delaware, was taken to Albany Medical Center in stable condition with no serious injuries, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office said.
The accident happened on the “Sky Ride” at Six Flags Amusement Park, about 55 miles (88.51 kilometers) north of Albany, New York. Video posted online of the accident shows her dangling from the green gondola as a crowd gathers below her, before she loses her grip and falls.
“They’ll catch you, honey! Go ahead,” a man yells as the girl falls and bystanders applaud the crowd who caught her. She’s then carried off.
It’s not clear yet how she slipped under the safety bar. Bystanders on the video could be heard yelling “Her neck is stuck!” before she broke loose and fell.
The sheriff’s office said in a statement that the girl was riding the attraction with a child relative, and fell from a stationary two-person car. The ride was stopped by an operator after getting word of a rider in distress, officials said.
Authorities say the girl fell from the car and struck a tree before landing in the crowd. She was treated by park emergency medical staff and taken by ambulance to Glen Falls Hospital before being transferred by helicopter to the medical center.
Officials inspected the ride and said it was in proper working order. The park said in a statement that the safety of guests is a top priority.
“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.
Authorities also said an unidentified 47-year-old man from Schenectady, New York, who was a guest at the park, was treated and released from a hospital for a back injury sustained when he attempted to catch the falling girl.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.