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Early Addition
Two days after Wesley Autey jumped into subway tracks to save another straphanger from an oncoming train, everyone still wants to hear his story. With good reason: Not only is it an incredibly heroic story, Autrey's matter-of-fact explanation for his actions ("it's just being able to be here and help the next person.") and his humble demeanor:
"I don't think I did anything heroic. I just saved a life. I don't call myself a hero because the real heroes are overseas dying for you and me."Autrey was on CBS's Early Show, which had a crazy computer re-creation of the save. And the re-creation doesn't even show how the savee, NY Film Academy freshman Cameron Hollopeter, was having a seizure at the time!
Autrey will be appearing on Late Night with David Letterman tonight and will be honored by Mayor Bloomberg today, and he's also gotten requests to appear on The Charlie Rose Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Apparently Donald Trump's people say there's a $10,000 check waiting for him (Autrey said, “They offered to mail it; I said, ‘No, I’d like to meet the Donald, so I can say, Yo, you’re fired.’ ”) while the Film Academy gave Autrey a $5,000 check and offered future scholarships to his two young daughters to attend its teen program.
But we have a feeling the best thanks Autrey is getting is from Hollopeter's family. Autrey went to Hollopeter's hospital room and met his family. Hollopeter's father Larry said
"Mr. Autrey's instinctive and unselfish act saved our son's life/ There are no words to properly express our gratitude and feelings for his actions. Cameron is recovering and stable. Now he needs his rest, and our wishes are that you respect his privacy. May God’s blessings be with Mr. Autrey and his family."Autrey has been working on converting classrooms into a library at PS 380, John Wayne School, in Brooklyn. The Daily News' Michael Daly said that the school was named after the actor (a District 14 superintendent was a "big fan") but the school should be renamed after Autrey instead.
Update: The MTA is giving Autrey a year of free rides (12 unlimited monthly Metrocards) and gave his daughter some MTA schwag. Disney is giving the Autrey family a week-long, all-expenses paid trip to Disney World, plus tickets to see the Lion King and a backstage tour. At the City Hall press conference, Autrey said again that he wasn't a hero and said the real heroes are the young men and women fighting in Iraq.
Photograph of Autrey and his two daughters from the CBS Early Show; graphic of the subway trough from the NY Times
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John Wayne HS in Brooklyn? Forget it.
I think it's great that nice things are happening to him.
Bet Hollywood types wants the Movie rights!
;)
This guy was incredibly courageous, obviously. But I have a question I haven't seen answered in any of the reports. Did the guy having the seizure fall into the trough between the tracks or did he end up splaying the tracks?
Just curious if anyone has heard.
I saw the re-enactment on CBS, and from that it looked he fell onto one of the rails and Wesley Autey then maneuvered him into the trough - what a quick-witted man, what a caring individual.
From what I've read, it seems like Hollopeter fell between two tracks, but there's no specific mention about him being directly in the trough. But, since he was still seizing, I'd imagine he'd be partly splayed.
Wesley Autrey rocks -- an awesome combination of spontaneous action, quick thinking on how to help the guy survive, and bravery.
While Autey is indeed a hero, can someone tell every media outlet that talks to him that they don't have an "exclusive interview". Seriously CBS/NBC/ABC (local and national) news, get a grip.
Autrey for President.
Are there any other candidates who can do a better job?
"Elvis was a hero to most/but he never meant shit to me. Most of my heros don't appear on no stamps/M-F him and John Wayne"
- Public Enemy
One other thing. A few times in my life I've seen things about to happen to someone where preventing it involved a *little* risk to me. And I'm happy to say I've acted to help. But jumping in front of a subway car? That's another level of bravery. That's just wild.
Good man, good father, good citizen. He should make us think twice about the good things in this world, even in the face of evil and stupidity.
I hope he lives a long and safe life raising and enjoying his two beautiful girls. he deserves all the accolades and thanks from NY'ers everywhere.
Hope the kid is doing well too, his family seems nice and genuine.
You guys don't know Autrey like I know Autrey.
Autrey so fly, he moves his hand through his hair and each one stands up in respect.
Autrey so fly, he once walked across the Dead Sea and it came back to life.
In fact, Autrey SO FLY that he doesn't jump off the ground - the ground gets off his feet.
why can't I meet Black people like wesley Autrey? All I meet are 50 cent or Flava Flav wannabes.
If this guy wants to run for the city council or mayor he would win. rightfully so.
i was thinking of this story when i was waiting for my train home from work. i was trying to imagine jumping down on the tracks with a train coming, and i just thought, "gaaah!". a truly amazing story.
Great story and great human being. I'm actually glad that the media and public are jumping all over this, as opposed to something tragic and tabloid-ish.
Your were raised the way I am raising my kids, if you have the chance to help someone in need it just comes natural to do the right thing, that's why you don't see yourself as a hero. I can honestly say, if someone did what you did for one of my two children I would have to say they were a hero.
I may get flamed for this, but I think it has to be said. This man is no doubt a hero. However, I have to question what kind of father he is. I know this was a selfless act, but when you have two children to take care of, I think you have a duty to them first. What if he got killed trying to save this stranger? Where would that leave his kids?
Again, I applaud his swift actions, but it seems like he should have thought about his children first.
Tim, a good point and he sort of addressed that during the CBS's Early Show interview by saying he left his kids there with a lady holding their hands. Of course, that would have been small comfort to his kids if he died or was terribly injured. It was a split second decision and fortunately it worked out for everyone.
As for what kind of father he is: he's seems to be one that sets an excellent example for doing the right thing, that is, helping out when someone needs it.
Three cheers for Wesley Autrey, a NY HEROE !!!
I want you in my bunker Mr. Autrey.
You're a true hero in every sense of the word. You served your Country, that's already a hero.
We need more do'ers not the what if'ers.
There's plenty of them in NYC, the boss who never commits or needs to research everything to death.
a lot of vietnam vets have had serious emotional issues because of the heroics of the american politics. he might have had a flashback, had no time to think and jumped there when he heard people screaming. he might be an emotionally troubled gentleman, but it doesn't change the fact that he saved a life. whatever his motivation is doesn't matter, he saved a life. most of our actions inevitably consummate lives even if not here, in other parts of the world.
Thank you Wesley Autrey. I can only hope that one day when I need help or a loved one needs help, someone like you can come through for us in the same selfless manner. What a wonderful city this would be if we all helped each other...
New York needs more people like you.
Kudos for the Donald for writing him a check for
10 large Where is the rest of New York? C'mon off that money you rich landlords and Wall Street Slime....I won't hold my breath.
The real gold in in Autreys heart
One more vote... you are amazing, Mr. Autrey.
I love how while all the people were screaming he's yelling to his daughters "I'm OK! I'm OK! Tell my daughters I'm OK!" That's a dad.
Clearly he didn't jump the tracks unless he knew that he could save both himself and the kid. Thank God he was right. And now his kids will grow up knowing to do the same thing if they are in the situation.
And did you see him on the news this morning? The kid's father was thanking him and he got all choked up and Autrey leaned over and kissed him on the head and said, "It's OK."
What an amazing guy. The face of New York.
The face of humanity as well.
He also said in an interview that he thought for a split second about his daughters having to see a dead man on the tracks if he hadn't helped. So, when it comes to the kids, it's just one of those situations where you have to do what you have to do and hope like hell it works out for everyone.
Awfully damned decent or Mr. Autrey to respond to the adulation he earned by trying to re-focus it on the troops. God bless him and his family...
it is so refreshing that a story like this makes big news, and what autrey did is humbling and amazing. the guy deserves all the props (and rewards) that come his way. tim and s.d. both make good points—yeah, what about those little kids? but i just can't criticize a human being who jumped in front of an oncoming train to save a stranger. maybe there's hope for this world. thanks, autrey.
My wife and I felt that with the Katrina flooding, there weren't enough people willing to risk losing their jobs to save other people's lives.
This is the opposite.
Usually real-life heroics don't have an "action movie" feel to them, but this one sure does!
Thank you Mr. Autrey!
"At the City Hall press conference, Autrey said again that he wasn't a hero and said the real heroes are the young men and women fighting in Iraq."
What a class act. Seriously.
Moral of the story: our society needs many more citizens who have been tempered by the ethics of selfless service, the greater good, duty, honor and sacrifice that are learned in the US Military. Doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do is ingrained in Army leadership culture. (Not that military training takes in everyone, but for the people who have the intrinsic "right stuff", the military is unmatched at developing those qualities.)
Agreed with Mr. Autrey that our servicemen and women fighting for civilization, nation and people in the War on Terror are all our heroes. He gets it, as sadly, many of his fellow Americans do not these days.
"Agreed with Mr. Autrey that our servicemen and women fighting for civilization, nation and people in the War on Terror are all our heroes. He gets it, as sadly, many of his fellow Americans do not these days."
You don't have to support this ill-conceived war to believe that those who risk their lives in Iraq daily are heroic and brave. I am 100% against the war, but I thought it was very gracious of Autrey to put his own bravery in a global context.
An incredible story, and Mr. Autrey is an inspiration. If you put 1 million people in his shoes, how many would have jumped down onto the tracks to save another mans life?
Before this story, I would have guessed none.
I am a New Yorker. For all you people sitting there doubting the motivation for this man's actions, you should just shut up and not make ANY comments. I love New York, but we as a people are selfish, stubborn, and downright crude at times. Here is a man that risked his life for someone else's and you are going to criticize him? This world just gets crazier by the second. I probably would not have done what he did. 98% of you wouldn't either. So if you don't have anything good to say about this heroic figure, then shut your mouths and don't say anything at all.
New York is a wonderful city, but it is also filled with negative people who are only concerned with how much money they make and what fantastic restaurant they can try that night. He deserves all the recognition and money he is getting. And still, he is the first one to say that he is not a hero. I actually saw someone post that he did it for the money. Yeah, he was going to get himself killed? What money would he have seen THEN, buried underground? Comments like those make me realize how many warped people exist in this world.
The more you hear about this, the more amazed I am.
And, the more I want to know. To still be calm after it happened and to calm Mr. Hollopeter down, how many of us can do that?
Being stuck motionless while a train is still on top of you for twenty minutes. Being confined in a dark dirty tight space.
He deserves everything and more. Good karma will forever be with him.
The previous posted comment about his children, I find a little ludicrous. It is true that he could have died but that is just life. He sacrificed himself for the greater good and the life of another man. That is what makes this story so amazing. There are so few people out there (not in the military) willing to do that. That is the exact problem. All we do is think. Think, think, think. More people should just DO. That is exactly what he was saying in that interview. There were hundreds of people down there with him watching this man suffer from a seizure. If Mr. Autrey had started thinking like everyone else, that man would be DEAD.
Couldn't agree more with the comment just posted by crono. That is our excuse in American society. We think and for that are more rational in situations. More people need to just act on their instincts and drop the excuse of "could have, would have, should have."
In this bleak and selfish time, Mr. Autrey reminds me that there is still a greater good working on this earth. This was no issue of politics, color, creed, religion, social status or bad parenting: he was simply willing to lay down his life for his fellow man.
What Mr. Autrey did reminds me of my friend, Mentor Tory Nuriu, who died on December 22, 2005. Tory was the same kind of person as this man, one who would really stand up for another human being.
I really couldn't stop my tears while reading the story of this man. What a brave man he is ? Can I really do this ? Can I really stretch my hand to somene in that situation , let alone jumping and putting my life at risk ?. This is man is the hero of heroes and till doesn't want to call himself a hero. OMG !!!
What an absolutely *beautiful* story!
Tak trzymać Autrey, dzięki takim jak Ty ten świat jeszcze stoi.
Wesleys act of altruism is remarkable and inspiring to human-beings all over the world, not just 'New Yorkers'. The man is great. It's a shame that Disney World couldn't wait to advertise the company.Couldn't they have given him the freebies in private?
I love you Wesley Autrey!
Up here in Canada we had Terry Fox. I said we were one up on the states but now you have Wesley Autrey. I've never admired anyone more then I admire this man. What he did was unbelievable.
I think it's commendable that Senator Clinton, Mayor Bloomberg and Donald Trump took the time to recognize Wesley Autrey's heroism when he rescued a young man on the train tracks. But he was not the first. Unfortunately, Senator Clinton, the mayor nor Trump made the same effort to recognize New York City's own MTA hero, Phillip Goding.
See article, "His courage didn't flag in daring track rescue"
By FIONA McDONOUGH
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Monday, June 23rd, 2003
“For his bravery as a flagman, Phillip Goding, 48, has earned the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Act of Heroism Medal.”
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THE SUBWAY HEROE DESERVES EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN GIVE HIM AS A NATION. WE HAVE SO FEW GOOD NEWS STORYS TO READ ABOUT ANY MORE. AS A VETERAN AND A FORMER STATE TROOPER I CAN APPRECIATE WHAT HE DID. WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET THIS SELFLESS ACT OF HEROISM. I ONCE
SAVED THE LIFE OF THREE PEOPLE TRAPPED IN A CAR ON
THE GERMAN AUTOBAHN AND THE GERMAN POLICE WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT MY COMMANDING OFFICER GAVE ME AN AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR MY ACT OF HEROISM. MR AUDREY HAS AGAIN MAKED ME PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN, TO HIM I SAY THANK YOU, GOD BLESS YOU A BLACK AMERICAN HERO.
I was amazed when my son told me of this story. At first it was difficult to believe, but I realized that GOD is still in the saving business. God can and will use others to come to the aid of someone in trouble. I shed a few tears, then I realzed that all isn't as bad as we seem to make it. This man put another before himself and his actions were wonderful and God is very pleased.
i am in absolute awe of this man.
thank you, mr. autrey, for being a better person than i could possibly think to be.
Thank God for someone like Wesley Autrey! What a breath of fresh air..with the media sometimes focussing on petty stupid things like who wore underwear! I am so proud of this man and what an honor for those people who have met him and know him. It's about time the world focussed on people like him as the true celebrities for what they have done for the human condition.
I admire Wesley Autrey
I just want to thank everyone for their sincere comments.
wesley u rock
ohhhhh my he is a hero FORSURE no matter what he says
train
this sounds like one of those things that comic books
A true hero!
Why not name the subway station after him!
G.I. Autrey...A Real American Hero
i'd buy that doll and leave Joe up on the shelf.
kudos to you, Autrey. Thank you for showing us the good that some people are capable of.
to Tim blog #18...
Mr. Autrey stated in several of his interviews that his main intention for saving this gentleman was to avoid his daughters seeing a man run over by the train. I think that was mighty nobel of him. He did not want his daughters to have the haunting memory of someone being hit by a train. That is thinking of his children! That is awesome.