New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) celebrated five heroic workers who identified a trapped youngster on the tracks and coordinated his safe escape. The MTA called their efforts to save a three-year-old boy with autism a “daring rescue”
Locomotive engineer William Kennedy “noticed an object and soon realized a young child was on the northbound track” this past April 6th, he said. Immediately, “he sent out an emergency radio communication to all nearby train crews.”
“What is that, a kid?” audio reveals a second MTA employee asking over their communication system. Related footage shows their train stopping along the electrified tracks in order to rescue the tiny person.
Narration from an MTA statement reveals how the quick-thinking actions of the train’s staff saved the boy’s life
“Once the train came to a stop, assistant conductor Marcus Higgins jumped down to the track, ran 40 yards in front of the train, picked up the child and brought him onboard the train,” the MTA said in the statement.
“At the same time, Signal Maintainers Max Chong and Christopher Fraina were heading to the area to help and came upon the child’s mother and sister who were observed sobbing on a street corner, who explained the three-year-old was missing,” the MTA’s statement continued
“When a Sleepy Hollow police officer pulled up and mentioned a missing child report, the group realized they were all looking for the same child. Meanwhile, the Metro-North signal maintainers heard a report on their radios of a found child at Tarrytown station,” the statement added. “The group drove to Tarrytown, where the railroad employees and police officers took the family to the platform, where mother and son were reunited. The boy’s mother says her son has autism.”
Commending the work of the train’s personnel, Metro-North Railroad President and Interim LIRR President Catherine Rinaldi highlighted how they exemplified being “alert, responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful” while working.
“These fine team members embodied the qualities we want our employees to exhibit while on duty, alert, responsive, knowledgeable and helpful,” she said.
“With the bravery and calm comportment of superheroes, they averted a horrific outcome and saw to it that this little boy was not going to become a statistic,” she added. “We salute their efforts and compassion, and heartily thank them for their dedication to the people we serve.”
The New York Post reported that additional audio revealed the alert and calm response from the crew enabled them to not only identify and help the child but provide care and assistance while on the ground with him. The Post wrote:
“There’s a little kid north of you guys … just keep an eye out, he just popped out of a wall,” someone can be heard saying over the radio before asking a northbound train to come to a complete stop.
That train, helmed by Locomotive Engineer Shawn Loughran and a trainee, is seen proceeding north slowly, looking for the child until he’s spotted dangerously near — and then on top of — an electrified third rail.
A crew member can be heard on the radio requesting that the electricity be cut off as the video showed Assistant Conductor Marcus Higgins jumping onto the tracks and running ahead of the train to snatch the boy out of harm’s way.
“Crew’s got the toddler, over,” a crew member said over the radio.
Once the crew brought the little guy on board the train, they got him seated and were able to ask if he knew where his mom and dad were. The rest is history.
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