6
Credit: HersheyparkLast night, a tragedy was nearly averted at an over 100-year-old theme park as a lost boy inadvertently ran away from his family and ended up walking across the monorail line, some thirty feet in the air at Hershey Park.
According to ABC 27 in Pennsylvania, some good Samaritans were able to get the child to safety after he was seen walking on the monorail track above Hershey Park’s concourse. There were hundreds of witnesses, many of whom posted their videos on social media, as others tried to call the young man to safety.
The incident happened around 5 p.m. on Saturday night, when the boy was separated from his family, who reported him missing to park security. According to reports, the boy made it to the monorail station and remained there for about 20 minutes, waiting for his family.
When no one showed up to find him, the boy took a walk on the monorail track. Officials at Hershey Park told reporters that the monorail was not running at the time.
In the videos posted on social media, the boy is seen walking along the track with nothing but concrete below him. A good Samaritan climbs a structure at one end of the monorail and convinces the boy to walk toward him. The man in the video ultimately gets the boy down and brings him to safety.
Park officials said that the boy was reunited with his family around 5:30. In a statement, Hershey Park noted that it was “grateful for the vigilance of our guests and the swift response of our team.” The statement did not mention how the boy could get onto the monorail track or how he was left alone in the monorail station for 20 minutes.
The monorail track is approximately two feet wide and 25-30 feet in the air. Tragedy was averted on this night thanks to some quick thinking by Hershey Park guests.
Who do you think is to blame for a child getting onto the monorail tracks at Hershey Park? Let us know in the comments.