On a quiet, sunny day in New York City, a handful of people were waiting for the R train at the City Hall subway station when a man leaning against a pillar suddenly collapsed and fell onto the tracks.
Graduate student Sumeja Tulic, who was sitting on a bench near by told the New York Times, “The echo of him falling was just horrible.” Other people at the station heard the loud thump too and witness Rachelle Peterson said she thought someone dropped a “heavy duffel bag.” But when others went to check what had fallen, they saw the unconscious man and leaped into action.
Advertisement
One man was trying to wake the fallen man while two others jumped off the platform to help.
Tulic told the Times that the fallen man looked about six feet tall and very heavy. When she saw these other men trying to help, she knew to pull out a cellphone and start recording. The video shows the men attempting to lift him off the tracks, all the while looking out for the train that was due soon at the station.
Thankfully, the three men were able to lift him up and roll him onto the platform.
Tulic said, “It was like a melting pot of goodness.”
The man regained consciousness a few minutes later, but, according to Gothamist, said he didn’t remember anything about being at a subway station or being rescued from the tracks.
David Tirado, one of the men who helped with the rescue, told Gothamist, “If someone is down and out, you have to help the person, because you have to remember that could be you lying down there and you’re going to need the help.”
