As a non-native resident of New York City, there is nothing I fear and respect quite like the subway tracks. You hear story after story about what can go wrong when you aren't aware of the inherent danger of the subway platform.
Many of these incidents end in tragedy, so when I saw this video, I actually jumped out of my seat in horror. This little girl’s narrow escape is like a cut-scene from my worst nightmare.
This is CCTV footage from a Remington Train Station near Sydney, Australia. The local authorities released it, in the hope of raising awareness about the dangers of straying onto the tracks.
The girl looks to be between 9 and 12 years old and is wearing a school uniform. She and a friend are playing with a hula hoop while waiting on the train platform, rolling it and catching it with one hand.
At one point, the hoop gets away from her and lands in the tracks. She scrambles down into the train tracks after it, not noticing the approaching train.
She runs back across the tracks, trying to reach the platform, but the train is bearing in quickly, and it seems certain that she won’t make it, despite passerby running towards her. Then, like an angel, a woman who was standing probably 15 yards away gets to her, grabs her by the hand, and pulls her straight out of the tracks.
She had maybe half a second to spare before the train came whipping into the station behind her. You have to assume that her rescuer is running on pure adrenaline, it must have taken incredible strength to pull the girl out of the way that quickly using just one arm.
If this video left you shaking with relief, please SHARE on Facebook to help educate everyone you know about the importance of train safety!
