Hero dad rescues boy stranded on Hershey Park monorail

Parents and parkgoers at Hershey Park watched in fear as a young boy stood alone on the park’s monorail track, nearly 20 feet above the ground.

(NBC)- For twenty tense minutes, parents and parkgoers at Hershey Park watched in fear as a young boy stood alone on the park’s monorail track, nearly 20 feet above the ground.

Witnesses described the child covering his ears as crowds screamed below, unsure of how the frightening scene would end. That’s when John Sampson, a father of three from the Philadelphia suburbs, sprang into action.

“Being a dad of three gives you a bit different perspective on everything,” Sampson said. “You see a child in danger instantly—how can I help?”

Positioned near an ice cream stand, Sampson quickly scaled a seven-foot fence, balanced his way onto the roof, and climbed onto the monorail track. He credits “dad strength” for the spur-of-the-moment rescue.

According to Hershey Park officials, the monorail was not in operation at the time and was secured by a chained closure and barricaded turnstile. Still, the boy somehow managed to access the restricted area.

With cries from the crowd all around, Sampson focused on the boy. “I was able to grab him and hug him, and then I heard all the cheers after that,” he recalled. “He was instantly relieved, super scared, and gripping me. You could tell he was happy to be in somebody’s arms.”