Commuter rescued from train tracks
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An off-duty police officer has become a hero in Spain after rescuing a man who fell on to Madrid's underground Metro tracks seconds before the passage of an oncoming train.
Security camera images of the rescue, which took place on Friday, have been released by Spanish police and are now circulating on YouTube.
The police video shows a man totter backwards to the edge of the platform and fall into the path of the on-coming train at the Puerta del Angel Metro station. Other passengers, on the opposing platform, wave frantically to halt the train conductor but to no avail. The video then shows the officer, whose name was given only as Angel, jump on to the tracks and drag the man out of harm's way seconds before the train speeds by.
"I saw the train coming and I didn't hesitate," says the Metro hero, shown only in silhouette in the police video. "I went running, I took off my jacket and jumped on the tracks seconds before the train."
The day of the rescue, the 30-year-old officer had been returning home from a shopping trip with his girlfriend on his day off. As they stood on the platform, he heard passengers shout.
"That's when I realised there was a problem," he said in an interview with Efe news agency, also broadcast on YouTube, in which he appears with his back to the camera, revealing only his badge. "Then I see the train coming head on, the people shouting at the conductor and I jump. I saw the conductor was trying to stop the train but there wasn't time. I pulled the man to drag him to the opposing tracks, watching to see if a train was coming from the other direction."
The security camera video shows the officer finally hoist the man on to the opposite platform with the help of the bystanders on the platform, then climb to safety himself with their help.
"They train us for situations like this," said the officer, who swore his oath of duty only two months prior to the incident.
The president of the Madrid regional government, Esperanza Aguirre, said the officer would receive a Medal of Citizen Merit.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments