A 20-year-old man dressed as Spider-Man sprang into action to rescue a wheelchair user stranded in the middle of a busy road in Arkansas, with the heartwarming moment now winning praise online.
A 20-year-old man dressed as Spider-Man sprang into action to rescue a wheelchair user stranded in the middle of a busy road in Arkansas, with the heartwarming moment now winning praise online. Christopher Hellenthal was driving home from his job at a trampoline park after attending a superhero-themed event on Wednesday (July 22), still dressed in his Spider-Man costume, when he noticed a man in a wheelchair struggling to cross a bustling intersection in Jonesboro.
Without a second thought, Hellenthal leapt out of his red Jeep and rushed to help. Racing against the changing traffic lights, he quickly pushed the wheelchair user across the intersection to safety just before streams of vehicles began moving again.
The act was captured on a street security camera and later shared by the Jonesboro Police Department on social media, where officers applauded the young man's quick thinking and compassion.
"I had a bunch of adrenaline pumping through me," Hellenthal was quoted as saying by The Associated Press, adding he had to act quickly in bustling midday traffic. “I was just kind of thinking, 'I'm wearing this suit, it's gonna be pretty funny'.”
"Not in my 7 years in the department have I witnessed this," said Sally Smith, spokesperson for the Jonesboro Police Department.
Authorities did not reveal the identity of the wheelchair user.
Interestingly, this is not the first time someone dressed as Spider-Man has become an unlikely hero. Earlier this month, Maharashtra resident Shadab Momin captured the internet's attention after videos showed him, clad in a Spider-Man suit, helping motorists and pedestrians navigate flooded roads in Bhiwandi following heavy rainfall.
As commuters struggled to make their way through waterlogged streets, Momin stepped in to guide vehicles safely through the flooded routes. Affectionately nicknamed Bhiwandi's "Spiderman" by locals, he also delighted children by carrying them on his shoulders, turning a difficult day into one filled with smiles.
