University of Georgia student survives fall from eighth-floor Athens apartment window
A 21-year-old University of Georgia student fell eight floors from an Athens apartment window on Saturday evening and survived. Police described the fall as apparently accidental, and 911 calls have since been reported.
Updated (version 2). New coverage since the last version from New York Post.
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The story, neutrally told
A University of Georgia student survived a fall from an eighth-floor apartment at Rambler Athens Apartments, 558 W. Broad St. in Athens, at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. NBC NewsLC “happened at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, according to police records” Read at NBC News ↗ The IndependentLC “fell from the eighth floor of Rambler Athens Apartments at 558 W. Broad Street Saturday around 7:30 p.m.” Read at The Independent ↗ Athens-Clarke County police said she had been dancing on a couch near an open window and landed on the pool deck below. NBC NewsLC “fell from the 8th floor window and landed on the pool deck below” Read at NBC News ↗ Sgt. Erik Ellison's report said the pool is in a second-floor courtyard and that she appeared to have struck a metal bench, whose cushion was bloodied and whose armrest had broken off. NBC NewsLC “the armrest of the bench had broken off” Read at NBC News ↗ The IndependentLC “the cushion on the bench had some blood on it” Read at The Independent ↗
Police said the initial investigation suggested an accident, and that she was conscious and alert but seriously injured. NBC NewsLC “thus far suggests that this was an accident”“she is conscious and alert but seriously injured” Read at NBC News ↗ The Independent reported that the 21-year-old senior was awake and talking in intensive care with multiple broken bones. The IndependentLC “awake and talking in intensive care after suffering multiple broken bones” Read at The Independent ↗ Her father, Richard Sargent, told WSB-TV he would not discuss the circumstances but said the fall came after Georgia's win over Oklahoma, and that she expects to be OK. The IndependentLC “declined to discuss the circumstances with WSB-TV, but said the fall happened after Georgia’s win over Oklahoma” Read at The Independent ↗
The New York Post, citing 911 calls it obtained, reported that a friend said they had been dancing and that she 'just fell out of the window'; the friend said they had been drinking but that it was 'nothing extreme'. New York PostR ““We were dancing, and she just fell out of the window,””“It was nothing extreme at all, we were all fully conscious.” Read at New York Post ↗ A resident on the fifth floor said in another call that he saw the fall and that the person looked unconscious. New York PostR “had seen the fall from his 5th-floor room” Read at New York Post ↗ Management told residents the windows have safety limiters and asked them not to tamper with them, and a Rambler spokesperson said the complex is reviewing the circumstances. The IndependentLC “equipped with safety limiters and reminded them not to tamper with, remove or disengage the devices”“We are continuing to gather information and review the circumstances surrounding what occurred” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Police-sourced accounts of the fall, its likely accidental cause and the student's condition; The Independent adds family comments and questions about the windows.
- Emphasis
- Police report details, the bench that may have broken the fall, the father's comments and the complex's window safety limiters.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither reports the 911 calls or the friend's mention of drinking.
- Charged language
- “terrifying”“miraculously survives”
- For example
-
“The terrifying fall from the Rambler Athens Apartments” — NBC News
“The fall has also prompted questions about the windows at The Rambler” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Leads with the 911 calls and the friend's panicked account of the moments after the fall.
- Emphasis
- 911 audio, the friend's mention of drinking and a witness's account.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the police report on the bench, the father's comments or the complex's window safety limiters.
- Charged language
- “Panicked”“plummeted”“miraculously survived”
- For example
-
“Panicked 911 calls revealed the moments after” — New York Post
“The female friend told the dispatcher that they had been drinking” — New York Post
What every side reports
- A University of Georgia student fell from an eighth-floor window at Rambler Athens Apartments on Saturday around 7:30 p.m. and survived.
- She had reportedly been dancing near an open window.
- The fall appeared accidental.
Where accounts differ
-
How the student's name is spelled
- Left
- NBC News writes Kristen; The Independent writes Kristin.
- Right
- The New York Post writes Kristin.
-
The student fell from an eighth-floor window and landed on the pool deck and survived
Supported- Supports 3
- NBC News, The Independent, New York Post
-
The fall appears to have been an accident
Supported- Supports 3
- NBC News, The Independent, New York Post
Kristin Sargent person
Her father says she is a fighter and will be OK; he declined to discuss the circumstances.
““She’s a good fighter, and so she’s going to be OK,” he said.” — The Independent
University of Georgia organisation
The Independent said it had contacted the university for comment; no university statement is reported.
“The Independent has contacted the University of Georgia, Rambler Athens and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department for comment.” — The Independent
Left2 articles
-
University of Georgia student dancing on couch near window falls 8 stories and survives
Neutral Police-statement-driven report of the fall and the bench that may have cushioned it.
-
Sympathetic Focuses on her recovery, her father's words and questions about window safety.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
Mixed Dramatic 911-call angle that includes the friend's mention of drinking.
- 29 Sep 15:31 First NBC NewsLC University of Georgia student dancing on couch near window falls 8 stories and survives
- 29 Sep 18:03 +2h 32m The IndependentLC Georgia student miraculously survives after falling 8 stories out of a window while dancing on a couch
- 30 Sep 15:34 +24h 4m New York PostR Panicked 911 calls reveal moments after University of Georgia student accidentally plunged from 8th-floor window while dancing: ‘She’s not moving’
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.