The tourist who was thrown to his death during a Central Park horse ride was trying to save his mom during what was supposed to be a fun first-time trip to the Big Apple. 

Romanch Mahajan, 18, was riding in one of the city’s iconic horse-drawn carriages with his mother, father, and little brother, when tragedy struck just before 3pm on Wednesday. 

The carriage driver had stopped to take a photo of the family, who were visiting from India, when the horse suddenly bolted with all of them inside, Deepak Mahajan, the teen’s father, told The New York Times. 

‘We were yelling, “Help me, help me!”,’ his distraught father recalled to the outlet.  

Deepak said he and his family clung to each other, but as the carriage stormed down the pavement, his wife, Priya, flew out, and Romanch immediately jumped out to save her. 

‘My son, just to save his mother, he fell off. He was screaming, “Mom!”,’ Deepak, 44, told the NYT. 

As Romanch did so, he hit his head on the ground. He was pronounced dead on Wednesday night at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center.

The rest of his family suffered minor injuries. Their carriage shattered into pieces after crashing into another during the incident.

Dramatic footage captured by bystanders showed the driver running after the out-of- control carriage. 

The operator soon caught up to the startled horse, named Sampson, near the restaurant Tavern on the Green. 

The seven-year-old horse appeared to be uninjured and in stable condition. 

Just hours before the deadly incident, Romanch’s parents shared several pictures on Instagram of them traveling all over New York City. 

They visited iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, the Charging Bull on Wall Street, the Oculus, and more. 

It’s a fraught moment for Central Park’s 150-year-old horse-drawn carriage industry, which is facing the growing threat of a ban from opponents who say the rides are both inhumane to horses and a danger to city residents.

Alexander Kemp, a vice president of Transport Workers Union Local 100, said the fatal incident should never have occurred. 

‘It appears the driver was at least at arm’s length from his horse,’ Kemp said in a statement. 

‘This is unacceptable. A driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos – ever. We support a full investigation.’

PETA Director Ashley Byrne also released a statement in response to Wednesday’s incident.

‘From collapsing horses to careening carriages, how many more disasters have to strike before we get these beleaguered horses out of the park?’ Byrne said.

‘For everyone’s safety, PETA is calling on council members, Health Committee Chair Lynn Schulman, and Speaker Julie Menin to stop dithering and pass Ryder’s Law immediately.’

Wednesday’s event follows several recent horse-related problems in the park, including the fatal collapse of a horse last week, which died after eating a toxic plant.

The animal had ingested foliage from a Japanese Yew, the report by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, which was circulated by the TWU Local 100, said. 

The horse, named Deniz, was under the care of carriage driver Nurettin Kirbiyik on the East Drive of the park on June 9 when the animal collapsed and died.

The necropsy report revealed ‘abundant plant needles’ in the horse’s stomach, mouth, and digestive tract. Kirbiyik saw ‘no signs’ that the horse had been unwell before it collapsed, according to the report put out by TWU Local 100. ‘I feel like I lost someone in the family,’ he said.

The Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that operates the park and came out last summer in support of banning horse-drawn carriages, said the back-to-back tragedies should bring an end to the industry.

‘We are absolutely devastated to learn that Romanch Mahajan, the 18-year-old visitor injured in today’s carriage incident, has died,’ the Conservancy wrote.

‘This is the tragedy we feared when we first called last year for horse carriages to be banned from Central Park due to the risks they pose to public safety and public health. A young man came to enjoy our park and lost his life. That is not an acceptable cost of an antiquated industry operating in the middle of one of the most heavily used public spaces in America.

‘We hope today’s injuries are the last we ever see.’