The heart-stopping sight of a missing child walking along the Hersheypark monorail tracks in Pennsylvania was captured on video, leaving witnesses stunned.For parents, the scariest part of the day wasn’t the theme park’s rollercoasters but seeing their young child stranded high up on the monorail line. The incident unfolded at Hersheypark, a popular family destination in Pennsylvania.
Footage showed the boy wandering alone on the tracks, more than 100 feet above the ground, while stunned visitors watched from below.
A complete stranger has since been praised as a hero after he stepped in and climbed up to reach the boy, helping bring him back down safely.The frightening ordeal took place on Saturday, August 30. The child’s family had reported him missing shortly after 5 p.m., sparking a search around the park.
Less than 20 minutes later, he was spotted on the monorail track. By 5:30 p.m., thanks to quick action, he was safely back with his family.
A bystander helped bring the child to safety CBS 21 News
Reports say the boy had been seen earlier at the monorail station around 20 minutes before he somehow ended up on the track itself.The monorail, which usually takes riders on a calm, scenic loop of the park, was shut down during the incident, so no trains were operating on the line at the time.
As the child edged along the tracks, he looked visibly upset, while people below shouted conflicting instructions — some yelling for him to stop, others urging him to keep going.
In a tense but heroic moment, one man climbed onto the roof of what appeared to be an ice cream stand to get closer to the tracks. From there, he was able to reach up and lift the boy back down to safety.Online reaction to the video poured in quickly. One user simply called the man a hero, while another declared: “Give this man free tickets for life. That’s the kind of guest every park dreams of having.”
A third added their own praise by writing: “This is America at its best,”
Hersheypark later released a statement about the incident, confirming: “Our team members immediately responded after he was spotted on the tracks, and at approximately 5:28 p.m. the child was safely reunited with his family. He was unharmed.”“We are grateful for the vigilance of our guests and the swift response of our team, and we remain committed to maintaining the highest levels of guest safety throughout Hersheypark.”
The park also clarified that the boy had entered a section of the station that was in a restricted and secured area. The monorail ride was not operating at the time, and barricades had been set up to block access.
This dramatic rescue comes just a little over a month after tragedy struck the same park. In July, a nine-year-old girl drowned in the wave pool, a heartbreaking incident that shocked visitors and staff alike.Authorities later ruled the girl’s death accidental, adding that Hersheypark had been in compliance with safety procedures when it happened.
Hersheypark itself has a long history, originally founded in 1906 by Milton S. Hershey, the famous chocolate maker, as a leisure spot for his employees and their families.
