A 21-year-old University of Georgia student survived an extraordinary fall from an eighth-floor apartment window after reportedly dancing on a couch, police said.
Kristin Sargent fell through an open window at The Rambler apartment complex in Athens at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a police report obtained by the Daily Mail.
Athens-Clarke County police said the college senior, who studies finance and marketing, was discovered on the complex’s pool deck.
Residential building floors are generally about nine to 10 feet high, putting the estimated distance from an eighth-story apartment at roughly 54 to 60 feet.
The precise height of Kristin’s fall has not been confirmed. Police said she “had been dancing on a couch or air mattress which was near an open window” before going “through the screen.”
Officers arriving only minutes later reportedly determined that a metal pool chair, fitted with a cushion, had helped break her fall.
The cushion was stained with blood, while the chair’s armrest had broken away, according to the police report.
Kristin was taken to a nearby hospital and remains in intensive care with multiple injuries, her father, Richard Sargent, told Channel 2 Action News.
Kristin Sargent, 21, survived a fall from an eighth-floor apartment window in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday evening
Police said the University of Georgia senior was found on the apartment complex’s pool deck
Richard described the terrifying phone call that alerted the family to his daughter’s near-fatal accident.
“We got a phone call from somebody that just said, ‘Oh my God, Kristin’s had a tough fall,’” he said.
Kristin’s family quickly traveled from Virginia to Athens so they could be by her side during her recovery.
Her father did not provide further details about the events leading up to the fall, but told the local news station that it happened after the University of Georgia football team defeated the Oklahoma Sooners.
The Georgia Bulldogs beat Oklahoma 41-13 at Athens’ Sanford Stadium on Saturday.
“University of Georgia just won a football game. I bet there were a lot of kids here who were 21 years old who were super happy,” Richard said.
He added that Kristin knows how fortunate she is to have survived the fall, despite suffering broken bones.
“She was talking to one of her friends and saying, ‘Hey, I’m alive. I can’t believe it,’” Richard recalled.
Police said Kristin had been dancing on a couch or air mattress near an open window, though the exact circumstances and distance of the fall remain unclear
After the incident, a spokesperson for The Rambler reminded residents about the safety features installed on every window
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Her father (pictured) didn’t go into detail about what exactly happened before the fall, but did tell the local outlet that it occurred after the school’s football team – the Georgia Bulldogs – beat the Oklahoma Sooners
The circumstances around the fall remain unclear. The apartment building said it is cooperating with the investigation.
A spokesperson with The Rambler sent out a message to residents after Kristin’s fall, reminding everyone of the safety features all windows are equipped with, according to the outlet.
In it, the building warned residents not to ‘tamper with, remove or disengage’ those devices, which are next to each window.
Police have not specified if the window Kristin fell out of had the feature engaged, or whether it played a role in the incident.
Authorities said that, based on the evidence gathered so far, the incident is being looked at as an accident, according to the report.
Meanwhile, her father said that his daughter is focused on her recovery.
‘She’s a good fighter, and she’s going to be OK,’ he told the station.
Richard added that he is very happy with how the school community and healthcare team have shown support for his daughter.
She is studying finance and marketing at the University of Georgia and works for Capital One in McLean, Virginia, as an incoming full-time business analyst, according to her LinkedIn
Kristin is also a member of the Kappa Delta sorority at the University of Georgia, her Instagram biography shows
Her current condition is unknown, but a spokesperson with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department told the Daily Mail she was previously ‘conscious and alert.’
The spokesperson said that they are ‘unaware if alcohol or drugs were involved.’
Kristin works for Capital One in McLean, Virginia, as an incoming full-time business analyst, according to her LinkedIn.
She started the hybrid role in September after working for the company as a business analyst intern.
Kristin is also a member of the Kappa Delta sorority at the University of Georgia, her Instagram bio shows.
A Rambler Athens representative told the Daily Mail: ‘Our thoughts are with our resident, and we are wishing for a speedy recovery.
‘We are continuing to gather information and review the circumstances surrounding the incident.’
The Daily Mail contacted Kristin, her father, Kappa Delta, and the University of Georgia for comment.