WNBC-TV
5:29 p.m. EST January 2, 2007
NEW YORK - A man's daily commute turned into a brush with death Tuesday when he daringly rescued another straphanger who'd fallen onto the tracks in Harlem, authorities said.
- Raw Interview With Man Who Rescued Straphanger
Cameron Hollowpeter, 18, fell onto the tracks at the 137th Street and Broadway Station after apparently suffering a seizure, according to authorities.
Wes Autrey, a Navy veteran and construction worker, was standing nearby on the platform with his children when he saw Hollowpeter fall. Autrey jumped down to the track area and lay on top of Hollowpeter as a train passed about "2 inches" from his head.
In the split-second he had to decide as a southbound 1 train approached, Autrey said he chose to stay in the "gutter" between two sets of subway tracks instead of trying to pull the victim back up to the platform.
"I chose to dive on top of him and pin him down and myself down," said Autrey, 50.
Autrey said the rescue was especially difficult because Hollowpeter was confused and frightened.
"He didn't know who I was," said Autrey. "He was incoherent. The train comes and I have to make the decision whether to struggle and try to get him up to the platform or dive for the gutter and just push him back. So my thing was to just push him back and lay on top of him."
When asked if the bottom of the train touched the top of his head, Autrey said, "It could have."
The incident took place around 12:45 p.m. Southbound service on the 1 line from 145th street to 96th street was suspended for about 45 minutes.
Hollowpeter, a freshman at the New York Film Academy, was taken to St. Luke's Hospital, where he was in stable condition, authorities said.
Subway Hero Saves Fellow Commuter
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