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New York girl survives 14-story drop

A 12-year-old girl just wanted to show her cousin the view from her family’s rooftop. Instead, she fell into a chimney and plummeted 14 stories, emerging nearly unscathed after landing in a pile of soot.

Grace Bergere was recovering at a New York hospital on Saturday with an injured hip. A 60cm deep pile of ash and dust probably saved her life by cushioning her fall when she crashed into a basement furnace, fire officials said.

Firefighters responding to an emergency call never expected to find the girl alive. While her father screamed her name, they opened a metal door at the bottom of the chimney, ready for the worst.

When Grace’s small hand poked out, “I just jumped back,” firefighter Simon Ressner said. “I wasn’t expecting anybody alive at the bottom of the shaft, so I was shocked.”

The rooftop adventure started at about 10:30pm, when Grace decided to show her cousin the view from atop the building.

To get to the highest point, she climbed up a 7.5m ladder alongside the big brick chimney. When she reached the top, there was an unpleasant surprise: the gaping mouth of the chimney.
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