Category: News and Views
From the new York Times.
A Man Down, a Train Arriving, and a Stranger Makes a Choice - New York Times
By CARA BUCKLEY
Published: January 3, 2007
It was every subway rider’s nightmare, times two.
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Tina Fineberg for The New York Times
Wesley Autrey.
Who has ridden along New York’s 656 miles of subway lines and not wondered: “What if I fell to the tracks as a train came in? What would I do?”
And who has not thought: “What if someone else fell? Would I jump to the rescue?”
Wesley Autrey, a 50-year-old construction worker and Navy veteran, faced both those questions in a flashing instant yesterday, and got his answers almost
as quickly.
Mr. Autrey was waiting for the downtown local at 137th Street and Broadway in Manhattan around 12:45 p.m. He was taking his two daughters, Syshe, 4, and
Shuqui, 6, home before work.
Nearby, a man collapsed, his body convulsing. Mr. Autrey and two women rushed to help, he said. The man, Cameron Hollopeter, 20, managed to get up, but
then stumbled to the platform edge and fell to the tracks, between the two rails.
The headlights of the No. 1 train appeared. “I had to make a split decision,” Mr. Autrey said.
So he made one, and leapt.
Mr. Autrey lay on Mr. Hollopeter, his heart pounding, pressing him down in a space roughly a foot deep. The train’s brakes screeched, but it could not stop
in time.
Five cars rolled overhead before the train stopped, the cars passing inches from his head, smudging his blue knit cap with grease. Mr. Autrey heard onlookers’
screams. “We’re O.K. down here,” he yelled, “but I’ve got two daughters up there. Let them know their father’s O.K.” He heard cries of wonder, and applause.
Power was cut, and workers got them out. Mr. Hollopeter, a student at the New York Film Academy, was taken to
St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center.
He had only bumps and bruises, said his grandfather, Jeff Friedman. The police said it appeared that Mr. Hollopeter had suffered a seizure.
Mr. Autrey refused medical help, because, he said, nothing was wrong. He did visit Mr. Hollopeter in the hospital before heading to his night shift. “I
don’t feel like I did something spectacular; I just saw someone who needed help,” Mr. Autrey said. “I did what I felt was right.”
Amazing story. Thanks Bob.
Since reading this post on here earlier today, I've seen coverage of this story on the TV news. The man has been given $10,000 from Donald Trump and $5,000 from the school that the man he saved was attending classes. In addition, his children will be given freee passes to Disney World. It's nice to see such a selfless act and the man who performed it getting rewarded for his act of bravery.
He lives in Harlem, so I'm sure the money will come in handy.
Holy shit! This Mr. Autrey is one heroic son of a bitch! Obviously he didn't have a reward in his mind when he did it, so I'm glad he's getting one. It's not like people who think they should do something good just to see what they will get in return.
Yeah, that is totally amazing!
That's incredibly courageous, and he didn't have time to think twice. I'm sure if he'd do it all over again.
That was a great story! My mom came home from work early so I got stuck listening to the Ellen show and they had him on there. I think he got a new SUV from there. He also got season tickets for the remainder of this and all of next season for, I want to say, the New Jersey Nets. While listening to him being interviewed, I remember coming away with the immpression that he probably really didn't give much thought to what he had to do. By that, I mean he was going to help that guy pretty much no matter what.
Wow, that is just amazing!