City honors Columbia worker who jumped on tracks in brave rescue

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City honors Columbia worker who jumped on tracks in brave rescue

BY NICOLE CARTER

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

April 17th 2008

 

Savulich/News

Veeramuthu Kalimuthu holds City Council Proclamation as his wife, Sumita, looks on.

 

Subway hero Veeramuthu Kalimuthu was honored at City Hall on Wednesday for braving subway tracks during rush hour to save a man's life last month.

 

"I am very proud to accept this award," said Kalimuthu, 46. "Something like this doesn't happen every day."

 

Queens Councilman Leroy Comrie presented Kalimuthu, known as Kali, with a City Council Proclamation, and recounted how the hero selflessly jumped onto the subway tracks after a man fell off the platform at the No. 1 line's 116th St. station on March 14.

 

"We didn't believe him after he told us what happened because he is always joking around," said his wife, Sumita, who joined her husband along with their three children, young niece and 1-year-old grandson.

 

"But we are all very proud, of course," she added.

 

Also supporting Kalimuthu, who lives in Queens and hails from Guyana, were 12 of his Columbia University mechanic co-workers, including witness to the rescue Marcus Santos.

 

"Since it happened and he has been back at work, we have just been posting his picture all over the university and supporting him when we can," Santos said.

 

As for the man he saved, Kalimuthu has still heard nothing.

 

"I would still love to meet him - I didn't even get a look at his face," said Kalimuthu who left the scene immediately to catch a train home after the event.

 

"I know he was injured a bit, so I hope he is okay."