Hersheypark rescue: Pennsylvania father praised for quick-thinking rescue of child on monorail

HERSHEY, Pa. — You might call him the Hersheypark hero, but John Sampson, a father from Pennsylvania, says he was simply in the right place at the right time.

“I just think I’m a guy who, once again, right place, right time, saw a child in need and wanted to help,” said Sampson.

Over the weekend, Sampson was seen in a now-viral video jumping into action when a young boy was spotted wandering on the park’s monorail. At one point, video shows Sampson extending his arms to help the child as cheers erupted from the crowd below.

SEE ALSO: Frightening video shows child on monorail track at Hersheypark

“I was just saying, ‘You’re OK, I’ve got you now,'” Sampson recalled. “I was just trying to soothe him like any dad would if your kid was in trouble. You could feel it in him, he was definitely relieved to be in my arms.”

Sampson said the heart-stopping moment was over as quickly as it began. “I just went into rescue mode,” he said. “I didn’t hear any of the other screaming because I was just really trying to find a way to get to the top of the building in order to help.”

Hersheypark said the child had been reported missing after becoming separated from his parents. He was spotted about 20 minutes later on the monorail, which was not in operation.

“All of a sudden, we started to hear screams, not the kind of happy screams you expect to hear at Hersheypark. It was like true, terrifying screams,” said Sampson’s wife, Stephanie Ravin.

Sampson, a veterinarian, is used to acting quickly to save animals, and now, it seems, people too. As a father of three, he said his instincts kicked in.

“That’s what I think anybody would try to do. Any parent would want to save any child, whether it’s theirs or not,” he said.

Sampson said the child’s family reached out to thank him. Hersheypark has not contacted him directly but issued a statement expressing gratitude for the vigilance of its guests.