Female College Student Miraculously Survived After Falling From an 8th Floor Apartment While Dancing

A University of Georgia senior is recovering in intensive care after surviving an eighth-floor fall from an apartment building in Athens, Georgia.

Kristin Sargent, 21, fell from a window at The Rambler on West Broad Street shortly after 7:30pm on Saturday, 26 September, according to police. Investigators said she had been dancing on a couch or air mattress near an open window when she fell through the screen and landed near the complex's pool courtyard.

Her father, Richard Sargent, said the family travelled from Virginia after receiving an alarming phone call.

'We got a phone call from somebody that just said, "Oh my God, Kristin's had a tough fall,"' he told Channel 2 Action News.

Sargent said his daughter suffered several broken bones and was 'pretty badly beaten up', but remained conscious.

'She was talking to one of her friends and saying, "Hey, I'm alive. I can't believe it,"' he said.

'She's a good fighter, and so she's going to be OK.'

The incident happened shortly after Georgia's football team defeated Oklahoma 41-13.

'University of Georgia just won a football game,' Sargent said. 'I bet there was a lot of kids here who are 21 years old who were super happy.'

Police Say Fall Appears Accidental

Athens-Clarke County police said officers were dispatched to the apartment complex at approximately 7:37pm.

Responding officer Erik Ellison said bystanders reported that Sargent had been dancing on furniture positioned close to the open window before falling through the screen.

When officers arrived, Sargent was on the ground near the pool. Ellison noted that the pool is located in a courtyard on the building's second floor.

The officer also found evidence suggesting that Sargent struck a metal bench during the fall. The cushion had blood on it and part of the bench's armrest had broken off.

Witnesses reportedly said a lounge chair may also have helped break Sargent's fall before she reached the ground.

Police interviewed Sargent and witnesses at hospital. Based on the information gathered, investigators said the fall appeared to have been accidental.

'At this time it appears that the victim will survive,' Ellison wrote in his report.

Forensic investigators also processed the scene, with the investigation continuing.

Apartment Reviews Window Safety

The incident has prompted renewed attention to window safety at The Rambler. Management sent residents a message reminding them that windows throughout the complex are fitted with safety limiters. Residents were warned not to 'tamper with, remove or disengage' the devices.

However, authorities have not said whether the limiter on the window involved in Sargent's fall was engaged or whether it played any role in the incident.

The Rambler said it was co-operating with investigators.

'Our thoughts are with our resident, and we are wishing for a speedy recovery,' a representative told The New York Post. 'We are continuing to gather information and review the circumstances surrounding the incident.'

Sargent is a senior studying finance and marketing at UGA. Her friends and fellow students have also rallied around her, leaving dozens of messages of support inside the building.

For her family, the focus remains on her recovery.

'We're lucky that she's alive and we're blessed,' her father said.