Man saves life on tube

[backontrack]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/17/tottenham-court-road-tube-london-passenger-rescue

Police want to trace a brave passenger who put his life in danger to jump on to tube tracks and pull a man to safety.

Just before 5pm on Tuesday a 47-year-old man was standing on a northbound Northern line platform at Tottenham Court Road underground station when he suddenly became unwell.

He stumbled on the platform and fell on to the tracks – prompting a bystander to jump on to the rails and pull him safely back on to the platform. The man was treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to hospital. Officers said they have since been told he sustained light cuts and bruises and would make a full recovery.

Praising the work of the bystander, Supt Chris Horton of British transport police said: “Going on to the tracks is extremely dangerous but the bravery of this man has to be praised. The man sprung to the rescue and hauled him back on to the platform, while other commuters alerted the emergency services.

“While the approaching train was immediately put on a red signal, the quick thinking of him and other passengers on the platform avoided what could have been a tragedy. On behalf of everyone at British transport police, I’d like to commend this man for his brave actions – his quick thinking most likely saved the man’s life.”

Police want to find the rescuer and recognise him for his courage.

Maybe he'll want to stay anonymous? It's an interesting question.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I know someone who, some time ago, did exactly that, FWIW.

 

[J-2739]

This is a brave and courageous attempt since he didn't know the rails underneath were electrified. We need more people like him.

 

[Strathclyder]

Props to this guy for putting his life on the line (no pun intended) for another human being in need of help. Stories like this help restore my faith in humanity.

 

[Johnuk123]

Surprised nobody has come on to say it was entirely the wrong thing to do by now.

 

[Gutfright]

It's difficult to criticise the guy for making a stupid decision in the heat of the moment, he's only human and we can all panic and act completely irrationally.

But the headline could easily have been 'two killed by tube train'. The line between hero and well-meaning dead idiot is very thin indeed.

Would it not have been better to have simply moved the fainted man's foot off of the rail, which could be done without leaving the platform, and let the proper authorities take it from there?

 

[Domh245]

Would it not have been better to have simply moved the fainted man's foot off of the rail, which could be done without leaving the platform, and let the proper authorities take it from there?

The correct solution would have been telling someone who is in a position to get trains stopped (ie a member of staff) at which point they can then resolve the situation. However, the instinctive reaction is to try and act as quickly as possible to get the victim off the tracks. It is why in First Aid training it is always DR ABC (Danger, response, yadda yadda) to try and get people to challenge the instinct to rush in.

 

[Mojo]

But the headline could easily have been 'two killed by tube train'. The line between hero and well-meaning dead idiot is very thin indeed.

lt was not that long ago that someone did indeed die trying to assist someone who was on the track: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/lond...fell-in-front-of-oncoming-train-10142701.html

l'm not sure whether the original person who was on the tracks did indeed recover, but we can hope so.

 

[miami]

The correct solution would have been telling someone who is in a position to get trains stopped (ie a member of staff) at which point they can then resolve the situation. However, the instinctive reaction is to try and act as quickly as possible to get the victim off the tracks. It is why in First Aid training it is always DR ABC (Danger, response, yadda yadda) to try and get people to challenge the instinct to rush in.

Fairly sure they dropped the "C"

 

[Bletchleyite]

Fairly sure they dropped the "C"

Yes they did, the view being if they aren't breathing they won't have a pulse in pretty short order, so checking for it is a waste of time.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Would it not have been better to have simply moved the fainted man's foot off of the rail, which could be done without leaving the platform, and let the proper authorities take it from there?

If it was an actual Tube line (i.e. deep Tube) the platform is very low. Stepping down, grabbing and stepping up would have been by far the quickest course of action.

 

[Domh245]

Fairly sure they dropped the "C"

SJA still has it as DR ABC as the primary survey, although it isn't a check for circulation so much as "are they bleeding profusely?". I think it was just DRAB when I first heard about it 8 years ago.

 

[miami]

Last time I did a first aid course (which was mainly aimed at things like bullet and bomb wounds) critical bleeding came before airway.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Would the ATO system have given some sort of all trains stop command to the train approaching the station?

 

[Busaholic]

Surprised nobody has come on to say it was entirely the wrong thing to do by now.

You didn't have too long to wait:roll::roll:

 

[Darandio]

This is a brave and courageous attempt since he didn't know the rails underneath were electrified. We need more people like him.

How did you deduce that?

 

[trainmania100]

Apologies of this is a stupid question
Are the pits on tracks at tube stations made purposely so that when people fall off the edge the trains can go over them whilst they are safely under the rails? Most tube stations I've seen have deep pits and the rails are elevated with room underneath

PIC http://www.railway-technology.com/n...ites-tenders-renovation-vauxhall-tube-station

 

[edwin_m]

How did you deduce that?

Without knowing what the person might know, it would be more courageous to go on the line knowing that the rails were live, than to do so not knowing.

Tyne and Wear Metro has (or at least had when first built) emergency buttons on the platforms, that operate flashing lights on the trackside to alert the driver of an arriving or departing train.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Apologies of this is a stupid question
Are the pits on tracks at tube stations made purposely so that when people fall off the edge the trains can go over them whilst they are safely under the rails?

Yes. They are informally known as "suicide pits" in some circles because of their effectiveness in preventing this act.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Tyne and Wear Metro has (or at least had when first built) emergency buttons on the platforms, that operate flashing lights on the trackside to alert the driver of an arriving or departing train.

Some LU lines have red emergency buttons on the platform that automatically stop trains using the ATP. I'm not sure if the Northern line gained these when it was resignalled a couple of years ago.

They won't discharge the traction current though.

 

[Domh245]

Some LU lines have red emergency buttons on the platform that automatically stop trains using the ATP. I'm not sure if the Northern line gained these when it was resignalled a couple of years ago.

They won't discharge the traction current though.

They were installed on Jubilee and Victoria lines (and possibly Central?) but they weren't ever connected on the Jubilee and I think that the Victoria line ones are now disconnected. They never made it onto the Northern.

 

[PermitToTravel]

The Central line's ones have always worked. I didn't realise the Jubilee ones didn't. As that line has the same signalling system as the Northern line I think that answers that one :/

 

[Mojo]

The Central and Victoria line ones are still operational and signed as such. I haven't seen that they were ever installed on the Northern line.

 

[DarloRich]

Good for him. He took a big risk ( was perhaps lucky to get away with it) but morally I think he did what was right.

 

[backontrack]

Good for him. He took a big risk ( was perhaps lucky to get away with it) but morally I think he did what was right.

Same here. We're controlled by our decisions; while others might have done something different, the man's life was saved and that's the important thing here.

I don't know what I would have done in that situation. I wouldn't have been able to lift the man off the track (certainly without touching the rail), but had I been in my 20s then I probably would have tried to do it. Or I might have refrained from doing so if someone else was going to do it as I might not be up to the task. If I mucked it up, then the man would be unlucky that he got me, really.

If I was the only other guy on the platform then I would (in split seconds):

a) check the screen
b) shout 'there's a man/women on the track)
c1) quickly run into the concourse and get help
c2) if no help is available and I have enough time, get down there myself and at least get him/her in a safe position in the track pits

If I was in my 20s and strong enough and that problem arose, I would shout and, while I did so, get down on the track (steering clear of the electric rail) so I can lift the man/women to safety.

Of course, this is all reliant on the train not being due in 45 seconds or under.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

On the lines that have had ATO fitted, do the trains arrive into the platform travelling any faster then they would have pre-ATO?

 

[J-2739]

How did you deduce that?

I worded my sentence really badly, sorry.

 

[OneOffDave]

Now it's often DR <C> ABC where the first C refers to catastrophic haemorrhage

 

[Jonny]

Now it's often DR <C> ABC where the first C refers to catastrophic haemorrhage

Presumably because with a catastrophic haemorrhage, it makes no difference if you have a clear airway and is breathing normally but there is not enough blood to pick up oxygen from the lungs. Then there is the need to stop or minimise the leakage so that oxygen can get through to the vital tissues.