American sailors rescue man who fell on train tracks

Petty Officers 1st Class Henry Caballero, left, and James Brice rescued a Japanese man who fell onto the train tracks at Shinagawa station in Tokyo:

“He walked off the platform like he saw an invisible step,” said Brice, of Rogersville, Tenn. “He hit the rails and it sounded like something was broken.”

Caballero checked for the next train, then jumped to the tracks and hoisted the man up by his armpits.

He thought about getting the man to the platform, but wasn’t sure if it was possible. He then thought about getting the unconscious man through an underneath passage and to the other end of the tracks.

Meanwhile, Brice had joined Caballero on the tracks.

“Jumping down to the track, I didn’t think about it,” Brice said. “When I saw my friend drop, it was an instant reaction to follow. Once I got down there I saw Caballero, and my first thought was, ‘Where’s the train at?’ ”

The Shinagawa station is one of the busiest in Japan, so they knew it wouldn’t be long.

Caballero saw lights in the distance, somewhere between 500 and 800 yards away, moving toward him.

Hands from the crowd began stretching over the platform and the two sailors passed the unconscious man to them. The crowd then helped Caballero and Brice up.

More details at Stars & Stripes.

[via FG]

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