A 21-year-old college student survived a fall from an eighth-story window after apparently 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 Our News Outlet.
Officers from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department found the University of Georgia senior on the building’s pool deck. Sargent is studying finance and marketing.
With residential floors typically measuring between 9 and 10 feet in height, an eighth-story fall would generally be estimated at approximately 54 to 60 feet.
The exact distance Sargent fell remains unclear. Police said she “had been dancing on a couch or air mattress which was near an open window” before going “through the screen.”
Responding officers arrived within minutes and determined that a metal pool chair with a cushion had helped break her fall, according to the report.
The cushion was covered in blood, while the chair’s armrest “had broken off,” the report stated.
Sargent was taken to a local hospital, where she is being treated in the intensive care unit for multiple injuries, her father, Richard Sargent, told Channel 2 Action News.
Kristin Sargent, 21, survived a fall from an eighth-story window at her Athens, Georgia, apartment building on Saturday evening
Police said the University of Georgia senior was found on the building’s pool deck (pictured)
Richard recalled the alarming phone call that alerted him and his family to his daughter’s near-fatal fall.
“We got a phone call from somebody that just said, ‘Oh my God, Kristin’s had a tough fall,’” Richard said.
The family traveled from their home state of Virginia to Athens to be by Kristin’s side.
Her father did not provide details about what happened immediately before the fall, but said it occurred after the University of Georgia football team, the Georgia Bulldogs, defeated the Oklahoma Sooners.
Georgia beat Oklahoma 41-13 on Saturday at Sanford Stadium in Athens.
“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 told the local outlet.
He said Kristin realizes how fortunate she is to have survived the fall with 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 which was near an open window,” though the precise circumstances of the fall remain unclear
A spokesperson for The Rambler (pictured) sent residents a message after the incident, reminding them about the safety features installed on all windows
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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 Our News Outlet 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 Our News Outlet: ‘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.’
Our News Outlet contacted Kristin, her father, Kappa Delta, and the University of Georgia for comment.
