SEATTLE, WA – A Seattle police officer risked his life to save an injured man from an oncoming train, with just seconds to spare, as seen in dramatic body camera footage released by the Seattle Police Department on Tuesday.
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The incident occurred on the evening of October 7 when officers responded to a report of a man standing on the lower ledge of an overpass above train tracks near King Street Station in downtown Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. The officers found a 57-year-old man in distress and began negotiating with him to step away from the ledge.
“I want to help you, and I need you to hear me when I say that,” one officer can be heard saying in the video as they tried to calm the man.
Despite their efforts, the man lost his footing and fell approximately 25 feet onto the rocks next to the train tracks below, sustaining serious injuries and becoming immobile, according to a statement from the police.
At the same time, a dispatcher attempted to halt all incoming trains. However, one inbound train could not be stopped and continued its approach toward the station, unaware of the emergency. The body camera video captured the sound of the train’s horn growing louder and its headlight illuminating the injured man lying dangerously close to the tracks.
As the train sped toward the scene, officers sprinted across the tracks to reach the man. In a split-second decision, one officer is seen in the footage dragging the man to safety, risking his life with only moments to spare before the train passed.
“The officer’s quick thinking and brave actions saved the man’s life,” the police department said in a statement. The name of the heroic officer has not been released.
The rescued man, whose name was also withheld, suffered multiple fractures from the fall and was treated at the scene by the Seattle Fire Department. He was transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition, but authorities credit the fast response of first responders for saving his life.
“Due to the rescue efforts by first responders, the man survived,” police said.
This act of bravery highlights the dedication and courage of Seattle’s police officers, who placed their own lives at risk to protect a citizen in peril.
