A man dressed in a Spider-Man costume has become a viral sensation after a video showed him helping a wheelchair user cross a busy street in Arkansas. The heartwarming moment occurred Tuesday when Christopher Hellenthal, 20, finished his shift at a trampoline park in Jonesboro.
“It was Superhero Day, so I brought the costume for the kids— they absolutely loved it,” Hellenthal explained. He mentioned that he had planned to drive around town in the suit after work. Then he spotted a man in a wheelchair who was clearly struggling to navigate the intersection. “He was having a really hard time,” he added.
Feeling a rush of adrenaline, Hellenthal jumped out of his car to assist. “I told him, ‘Don’t worry, I got you,’ and I think he understood. I helped him to safety and then got back in my car,” Hellenthal recalled.
Following the event, the Jonesboro Police Department shared the footage on their Facebook page and praised Hellenthal as a “true superhero.” They expressed gratitude for his act of kindness, stating, “Thank you for helping this gentleman reach his destination safely.” Sally Smith, a spokeswoman for the department, noted that such a display of kindness was unprecedented in her seven years there.
Hellenthal mentioned he would have stepped in to help whether or not he was in costume. He has long been a fan of Spider-Man, even having met Stan Lee, one of the character’s creators.
Packy Magel, the manager of the trampoline park where Hellenthal works, recognized him in the video even with the superhero costume on. “It’s typical of him to do something like that,” Magel said, adding it’s not unusual for Hellenthal to stay in character even off the job.
