March 23, 2008
Subway Fall Victim Praises Columbia Worker
Photograph of the 116th station by edEx on Flickr
The man who fell into the uptown tracks at the 116th Street subway station - and was saved by a Columbia maintenance worker who saw him from the downtown side and crossed the tracks - has finally spoken out. The 46-year-old NJ resident relayed his message to rescuer Veeramuthu Kalimuthu, via the Daily News, "Thank you for saving my life. I came less than 60 seconds from being run over."
Daniel, who did not want his last name revealed "because he is a recovering alcoholic," said that though he was drunk when he fell off the platform on March 14, he was headed to detox:
"I was on my way to St. Luke's anyway, to get treatment," he said. "I just didn't plan on getting there in a stretcher."Daniel, who has fractured riv, cocyx and vertebrae, said "I'm not in any position to actually meet anybody right now. I'm in terrible pain, the worst pain I've ever been in my life. I would eventually like to meet this man and thank him."He doesn't remember much of the incident because he was semiconscious.
"The last thing I remember is reaching down for a quarter," he said. "It was very frightening, and very dirty. All my clothes were black."
Kalimuthu, who jumped down, crossed over to the uptown tracks, lifted Daniel to someone else on the platform, and then crossed the tracks again to make his downtown train, had explained his selfless actions thusly, "People should help people. If all of us get along well in this world then we'll get a better world to live."
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"Daniel, who has fractured riv, cocyx and vertebrae"
I also fractured my riv once too. Whats really strange is that Daniel and I are the only two people in the world that have riv's. Hmm..maybe we are related...
That took plenty of bravery to cross the tracks to save this man. I have always wondered if I have what it takes to abandon all reason and simply help a fellow human when they need it most. I believe I can, after all I am an RN and have been doing similar in a work capacity for 26 yrs.
I only hope the alcoholic our brave man saved from possible injury or death will learn that there really are second chances. I am firm in my belief that this guy was likely on his fourth or fifth since that is the nature of addiction.
Anyway, I hope the city does for this brave guy what they did for the other guy who covered up the guy who fell after having a seizure. Bravery off the job is to be commended even if the fool who he saved warrants no special attention. Life should be preserved, all life. Death, when not required to save others, diminishes all of us.
hey jen!
thanks again for published yet another photo, this one from the archives!
I love the fact that he crossed the tracks again rather than leave the station, cross the street, pay the fare, and re-enter! Nice.