Video shows North Dakota native rescuing boy from Hersheypark monorail track

The man who rescued a young boy walking along a Pennsylvania amusement park's monorail track grew up in North Dakota.

John Sampson spent his childhood in Fargo, where he graduated from Shanley High School in 2004, according to a bio on his Pennsylvania veterinary hospital's website . He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota before pursuing veterinary medicine.

Sampson told NBC's "Today" show that his fatherly instincts kicked in when he saw the young boy wandering alone on Hersheypark's elevated monorail track.

"Being a dad of three gives you a big different perspective on everything, so you see a child in danger – instantly, how can I help," he said in the interview .

A video of the Aug. 30 rescue, widely shared online, shows Sampson climbing on