“I understand the appeal. But we have to get to a point where common sense takes over the desire for the risk,” said Minneapolis Police Sgt. Garrett Parten said of the “urban exploring” trend

NEED TO KNOW

• An 18-year-old is suffering life-threatening injuries after falling 20 stories while climbing an abandoned grain elevator
• Minneapolis Police Sgt. Garrett Parten said the incident is a case of “urban exploring,” a trend where individuals post videos of themselves breaking into abandoned buildings and climbing dangerous structures
• “It’s sad because the reality is, this is an individual out having fun, seeking adventure, and made a bad decision that resulted in life-changing injuries,” Parten added

An 18-year-old is suffering life-threatening injuries after falling 20 stories while climbing an abandoned grain elevator. 

On Monday, Aug. 3, a Minneapolis teen was among a group of teenagers who were reportedly trespassing at the decommissioned Checkerboard Grain Elevator around 8:30 p.m. local time when the individual fell hundreds of feet onto a platform below, the Minneapolis Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE. 

The teen’s friends had called police after he fell as they thought he didn’t survive, police said in a press conference published by Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul on Tuesday. Police and firefighters arrived at the scene and used a ladder truck to provide the teen with emergency medical care. They were then taken to Hennepin Healthcare with life-threatening injuries. 

“Unfortunately, we have young people who are willing to take risks for the sense of adventure and, I’ll be honest with you, it appeals to me,” Minneapolis Police Sgt. Garrett Parten said. “Climbing through an old building, finding cool things. I understand the appeal. But we have to get to a point where common sense takes over the desire for the risk.”

In this case, the teen was hanging from a beam and fell. Parten deemed it “miraculous” that they survived the fall.

“What the kid was doing, they call it a ‘dead arm hang’ where they only use one arm and they hang from a pole connected to a building, just dangling,” Vox Payne, a nearby resident, explained to KARE11. “They’ll also sit on the edge, they will walk on the edge of the building and think that no harm is going to come to them and unfortunately that’s not the truth.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Admitting that he’s “confident” that similar incidents will continue to occur, Parten said in Tuesday’s press conference that, last year, the city had at least 80 incidents of “urban exploring,” a trend where individuals post videos of themselves breaking into abandoned buildings and climbing dangerous structures.

As of the latest incident, there have been more than 100 cases and 15 related arrests this year alone.

“It’s sad because the reality is, this is an individual out having fun, seeking adventure, and made a bad decision that resulted in life-changing injuries,” Parten said. “But while they are seeking fun and adventure, what they’re doing is illegal and extremely dangerous.”

Residents who live near the grain elevator have also voiced concerns about trespassers who frequently flock to the abandoned building.  

“It’s horribly frustrating. We’ve contacted the city about it. We’ve contacted the police,” Payne told Fox 9. “There’s probably 50 between my neighbor and my calls to 911 when there are large groups.”

“For teenagers and young people who think this is safe, this is not safe,” they continued. “Don’t go to a site like this. Don’t hang off the side of a building. That should be self-explanatory but kids don’t learn consequences until it’s too late for either them or their friends.”

Following the tragic incident, Checkerboard LLC, the property owner, said that its “thoughts are with the young man injured and his family,” according to the news station.

The spokesperson added, “The investigation into what happened and why is ongoing and we’re committed to assisting it in any way possible.”

#Teen #Severely #Injured #Falling #Stories #Abandoned #Grain #Elevator