Georgia Student Survives Eight-Story Fall After Bench Breaks Plunge

A 21-year-old University of Georgia student survived an eight-story fall from an apartment window in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday evening after she apparently fell through a screen while dancing near an open window. The student, Kristin Sargent, fell from the eighth floor of the Rambler Athens apartment complex around 7:37 p.m.

Witnesses told police Sargent had been dancing on a couch or air mattress near the open window when she fell. She landed in a courtyard on the building's second floor. Investigators found evidence that a metal bench broke Sargent's fall, with an officer noting blood on the bench's cushion and that one of its armrests had broken off.

Lt. Katie Jenkins, a spokesperson for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, told Fox News Digital that the incident is not being investigated as a criminal matter. Sargent was transported to a hospital, where she was conscious and alert, according to police.

Emergency 911 audio captured the immediate aftermath of the fall. A caller told dispatchers, "We’re on the eighth floor. My friend just fell out of the window. She's on the ground. She fell out of the window. We were dancing, and she just fell out of the window."

When asked if Sargent was moving, the caller responded, "Is she moving? Is she moving? No, she's not." The caller later stated she could see Sargent on the ground but could not determine if her eyes were open.

Investigators interviewed Sargent and witnesses at the hospital while forensic personnel examined the scene. The report identifies Sargent as a resident of the apartment where the fall occurred.

Rambler Athens stated it was reviewing the incident. The University of Georgia did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.