NYC Subway Savior: Someone Had to Help
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By DEEPTI HAJELA Associated Press Writer
January 04,2007 | NEW YORK -- Wesley Autrey said he made a quick decision to jump into a subway track to rescue a stranger from an ongoing train, an act he hopes other New Yorkers would follow.
"I did it out of a split-second reaction. And if I had to do it again, I probably would," he said on CBS' "The Early Show' Thursday. "I was like, 'Wow, I got to go get this guy ... somebody's gotta save this guy but I was the closest one.
"I'm still saying I'm not a hero ... 'cause I believe all New Yorkers should get into that type of mode," the 50-year-old construction worker said. "You should do the right thing."
Autrey's phone has been ringing off the hook since he helped the man on Tuesday by pushing him into a gap between the rails. Some callers were complete strangers so inspired by his bravery that they offered rewards.
Besides appearing on several morning television shows Thursday, he was set to tape an appearance on David Letterman's CBS "Late Show" and visit City Hall to be honored by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
In hindsight, even Autrey was somewhat startled by his dramatic decision. But knowing he narrowly escaped injury or possibly death, he didn't regret his choice.
"I did something to save someone's life," he said Wednesday.
On Tuesday, while waiting for a downtown Manhattan train, Autrey saw Cameron Hollopeter, a 19-year-old film student, suffering from some kind of medical episode. After stumbling down the platform, Hollopeter, of Littleton, Mass., fell onto the tracks with a train on its way into the station.
Autrey, traveling with his two young daughters, knew he had to do something.
"If I let him stay there by himself, he's going to be dismembered," the Navy veteran remembered thinking.
He jumped down to the tracks, a few feet below platform level, and rolled with the young man into a drainage trough -- cold, wet and more than a little unpleasant smelling -- between the rails as the southbound No. 1 train came into the 137th Street/City College station.
The train's operator saw someone on the tracks and put the emergency brakes on. Some train cars passed over Autrey and Hollopeter with only a couple of inches to spare, but neither man suffered any harm from the incident.
Hollopeter was taken to a nearby hospital; Autrey refused medical attention -- and then went to work.
Autrey went by the hospital Wednesday afternoon for a visit with Hollopeter and his family. Afterward, he and Hollopeter's father addressed reporters.
"Mr. Autrey's instinctive and unselfish act saved our son's life," Larry Hollopeter, his voice choking up, said Wednesday.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Inspiring
From the AP:
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7 comments:
I hope the media doesn't oversaturate the guy. . .and make him come off as an opportunist or anything.
BTW, did you know the http://heywriterboy.blogspot.com goes directly to just this entry?
Yeah, I read this too. Try putting that in a screenplay.
hey Denis:
12 or so years ago I shared an apartment with my brother.
One day a police officer came to the door looking for my brother, just then an articling or recently hired corporate lawyer. I told the cop (that's right, cop)that Tim was at work and asked if he was in some sort of trouble.
The officer told me that my brother had been at the Christie subway stop and a homeless guy had jumped on the tracks as a train was approaching. My brother jumped down, wrestled the guy, threw him under the platform (apparently there is room under there) and then jumped back on the platform. The homeless guy and my brother were unhurt.
Some people got his name and then he went to work. The officer was there to tell him that he was going to be awarded the Star of Courage.
A couple months later Fox called and since I was in stand-up I thought they were looking for me, but they wanted Tim to be on some Rescue 911 show. I think it fell through.
He did get to give a medal to a dog at the Purina Dog heroism awards.
My brother was down here with his family over the holidays and I was reminded how easily he could have been killed, if the guy had held on to him, or if Tim had mistimed anything.
So anyway, that stuff happens.
Mark
Oh. . .and I think I was mistaken about the going directly to this entry. I accidently clicked on the title of the entry.
Nice to read this kind of news for a change. Mark, you come from good stock.
Wow, that's impressive Mark. My brother once pushed a homeless man in front of a train.
No, he didn't really. That's just the kind of joke he would make though. I'm so ashamed - I'm from evil humour stock.
sure diane, but your brother gives you good software advice so it's a wash.
mark
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