Who says you need superpowers to be heroic?
A group of commuters went beyond the call of duty when they rescued a man in a wheelchair from getting run over by a subway train at a station in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, April 21.
Footage from a surveillance camera at the U Street-Cardozo station near the White House showed the man heading straight for the tracks and falling off the boarding platform.
Other passengers nearby saw the incident and quickly rushed to the platform to check the condition of the man, who appeared to be unconscious.
One man, who was carrying a suitcase, threw aside his luggage and leaped down from the platform. He tried to lift the fallen man away from the train tracks but he struggled with the man's weight.
While the other commuters watched worriedly at the rescue attempt unfolding before them, another man in a white shirt jumped off the platform as well to help the first remove the man in his efforts. Together, they managed to lift the man and his wheelchair back to the platform with the others grabbing hold of him to make sure he was alright.
The footage of the daring rescue scene lasts for nearly a minute.
Dan Stessel, a spokesperson for the D.C. Metro, stated that the unnamed 54-year-old man was quickly rushed to the hospital. He sustained minor facial injuries and a bloody mouth but nothing serious. Stressel said they are still unsure why the man suddenly drove his wheelchair off the boarding platform.
Metro officials are working with the police to identify the two heroic men.
The rescue at the D.C. Metro subway station is similar to an incident that happened at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) station a week before.
Alfred McNamee fell off the boarding platform at the 15th Street station and onto the electrified train tracks, seriously injuring himself. Fortunately for McNamee, Charles Collins, who was walking ahead of him, turned around and saw what happened. He jumped off the platform and rescued McNamee.
McNamee was taken to the hospital where he is being treated for several injuries, including a broken back, broken ribs, shattered a kneecap and damaged spleen.
Collins suffered a minor leg wound himself during the rescue.
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Photo: paurian | Flickr
