WFTV Channel 9 reporter Ashlyn Webb says a moment that was supposed to be controlled chaos at Disney’s Hollywood Studios turned into something real in a split second.
The viral clip, as Webb describes it, shows a 400-pound boulder prop rolling off course during the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular on Dec. 30, heading toward a crowd packed with families.
Channel 9 anchors Greg Warmoth and Martha Sugalski set up the story by asking the question most people asked themselves while watching: do you jump away, or do you run toward it?
Webb’s report answers that question fast, because one performer didn’t hesitate.
According to Webb, the cast member who stepped directly into the boulder’s path was Robert Herrick, a longtime performer in the show who has worked in that production for decades.
In the video, the boulder keeps rolling and the audience is close enough that people can be heard reacting in fear, including someone saying, “Oh my god, that’s coming right for us.”
That’s the moment Webb says Herrick made his choice.
Robert Herrick’s Split-Second Decision
Webb says Herrick told her the only thing in his head at the time was simple: stop the boulder from rolling.
Not “How do I look on camera?” Not “Will I get hurt?” Just stop it before it reaches the crowd.
Webb also reports Herrick has spent more than three decades working that show as both an actor and a stuntman, and he believes experience put him in the right place to make the right call.
The way Webb tells it, he didn’t move like someone calculating a heroic moment.
He moved like someone who recognized a dangerous object rolling toward people who had no idea what was about to happen.
Herrick told Webb, “I was probably out of my seat before it went over the thing, without any thought of what was going to happen.”
That line sticks because it sounds like muscle memory and instinct, not a planned decision.
Webb’s reporting makes it clear that the boulder is not some lightweight foam prop that only looks heavy.
When she asked him directly if it is really 400 pounds, Webb says Herrick replied, “Yeah, absolutely.”
And when Webb followed up – basically pointing out you can see the boulder knock him backward – Herrick joked through it, then added a serious note: “Anyone that sees that and the way it propels me backwards, it’s not 10 pounds.”
That’s a performer telling you, in plain terms, this thing had real force behind it.
What The Crowd Saw Up Close
Webb describes the Indiana Jones show as a place where danger is part of the illusion: flipping cars, explosions, dramatic stunts, the whole package.
But she says two weeks ago, that boulder stunt “went wrong,” and suddenly the illusion didn’t matter anymore.
In the viral footage Webb references, you can see Herrick stand up after impact with blood dripping from his head.
Webb reports Herrick said his first performer instinct, especially with children watching, was to get off stage.
That detail says a lot about how he thinks: even after taking a hit, he was still trying to keep the audience calm and keep panic from spreading.
Webb says that later, after the show continued, Herrick waved to the crowd to show he was okay.
It’s a small thing, but it matters, because for kids sitting in that audience, the scariest part isn’t the prop boulder.
It’s watching a real human being get hit and not understanding whether it’s part of the show.
Webb includes a reaction from a Disney guest in the viral video who said, “He literally saved our lives… that guy.”
That’s not a polished statement, but it feels honest, because it’s what a person blurts out when they think they just witnessed a near-miss.
The Injuries That Came With “Just Doing The Job”
Webb reports Herrick didn’t walk away unhurt.
She says he is now wearing a neck brace and will be in it for about eight weeks after fracturing two vertebrae.
That’s not a minor bruise, and it’s not something you shrug off with an ice pack.
Still, Webb says Herrick told her it was worth it.
His reasoning, in his own words to Webb, comes back to one thing: the boulder couldn’t reach the audience.
Herrick told Webb, “I can’t tell you that I was just thinking of anything other than it cannot make the audience.”
In other words, he wasn’t chasing a moment.
He was trying to prevent one.
It’s also worth noticing what Webb does not say in her report: there’s no sense that Herrick is bragging.
If anything, he sounds like the kind of worker who knows his job has risks and also knows those risks become real when something goes off script.
“Hero” Is The Word He Doesn’t Want
This is where Webb’s interview gets more personal.
She says Herrick has been called “the real Indiana Jones” by commenters and viewers, and people keep using the word “hero” when they talk about what he did.
Webb told Herrick that many people watched the video and said he’s a hero for jumping into action.
Herrick’s answer, as Webb reports it, was not a simple thank you.
He told her, “I have a difficult time with that moniker. I do.”
Then he explained why, and the explanation feels like the center of the entire story.
Herrick told Webb he thinks his 30-plus years on that stage, in a show he loves “with all his heart,” and alongside an “epic family” of coworkers, put him in the right position.
He said, “Hero, there was no thought, Ashlyn, about that at all.”
Webb’s report makes his mindset clear: he doesn’t see it as a heroic identity, just a reaction shaped by long experience.
And honestly, that’s often what real courage looks like.
Not the kind that comes with speeches and slow-motion clips, but the kind that shows up before the brain has time to negotiate with fear.
Missing His “Epic Family” And Wanting To Go Back
Webb doesn’t end the story on the boulder or even the injury.
She ends it on what Herrick misses.
Webb reports that Herrick told her he’s looking forward to returning to work soon.
He told Webb, “I miss my epic family and I miss the audience.” Then he got even more specific, talking about the people he performs for—especially kids.
Herrick told Webb he misses “that little girl,” and those “big eyes watching the show,” and getting the chance to make magic for people.
That’s the part that makes the story feel less like a headline and more like a person.
He’s not talking like someone who just survived a viral moment. He’s talking like someone who loves a job that is built around giving strangers a good day.
Webb also notes Herrick’s humility comes out when he compares himself to others.
He told Webb there are people doing good deeds every day, including the doctors and nurses who helped him afterward.
And he told Webb the only difference is that his moment happened in front of about 2,000 people, many of them holding phones.
That’s a sharp point, and it’s hard to argue with.
Plenty of people do brave things when nobody is filming.
It just doesn’t trend.
A Quick Thought On Why This Hit People So Hard
Webb’s reporting shows why this clip exploded online: it’s one of the few viral moments where the “main character” is trying to reject the label people want to paste on him.
And it’s also a reminder that live entertainment – especially stunt-heavy shows – has a line between controlled danger and real danger, and sometimes that line gets crossed.
What makes Herrick’s response so believable is that he doesn’t sound like he’s trying to win an argument.
He sounds like someone replaying a moment he didn’t have time to think through, and realizing afterward how close it came.
And even though he says he’s no hero, Webb’s story makes one thing clear: when something heavy rolled toward a crowd, one person moved toward the danger instead of away from it.
Whether he likes the word or not, that decision is the reason a lot of families went home with nothing worse than a scary story to tell.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
