MTA operator saves three men who were on tracks at Delancey St. F train station

[realizm]

In the news: T/O Danny Hay this past weekend rescues a total of three people from an incoming train: Two good samaritans and a man undergoing a seizure, all on the tracks while the train was coming in full speed. The incident took place @ Delancey Street on the IND 6th Ave line at approximately 8:30 AM, Sunday. The man was off duty and on his way to begin the shift when this occurred.
 
Since he tried to radio in and did not get a response he made a snap judgement almost out of instinct: He ran to the attendant booth to cut all power then jumped on the tracks to flash the lights to get the accompying T/O's attention on that train to slam the brakes in time before getting the 3 passengers out of harms way.

This reminds me of the time I had to pull a straphanger suffering a heart attack off a train during the AM rush in Brooklyn and was about to perform CPR (AHA certified) when the paramedics came. At the time I was on the way to school.

For once, good news. This transit worker is to be commended. Talk about great customer service on the part of the MTA and its dedicated employees!
 
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/mta-operator-stops-f-train-time-save-article-1.1310399
 

MTA operator saves three men who were on tracks at Delancey St. F train station

Danny Hay, 55, ran the end of the station platform and flashed his light toward an oncoming F train. A man fell onto the tracks and started convulsing. Two good Samaritans climbed down to help were also trapped.




TODD MAISEL/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

MTA train operator Danny Hay, 55, rescued a man who fell on the tracks in Manhattan on Sunday.

An MTA train operator was lauded as a hero Sunday morning for preventing a speeding F train from hitting two good Samaritans and a man who had fallen into the tracks after suffering a seizure.

The dramatic rescue took place in the Delancey St. station at 8:30 a.m., when Danny Hay, 55 was on his way to work. The quick-thinking dad from the lower East Side heard a loud thud and knew something wasn’t right.
 
“It was a loud slam. I looked down and saw a young man in his 20s,” Hay said. “He looked unconscious.”
 
The man lay in between the rails, convulsing, said Hay, a four-year MTA operator who got on his radio calling for help.
 
“Nobody heard me,” he said.
 
A crowd had gathered on the platform. People around him were yelling “Help! Help! He fell to the tracks!” he said.
 
Hay knew he needed to act quickly, he said.
 
He ran up to the train booth and told an attendant in charge to cut the power.
 
Noticing the power still on, Hay realized he needed to take matters into his own hands to get the train to stop, he said.
 
“I ran, 55-year-old me,” he quipped. “I knew I only had a few seconds.”
 
By the time Hay made it back to the platform, there were three people on the tracks — the original victim, plus two more who were trying to push him to safety, he said.
 
But the Coney Island-bound F train just kept coming.
 
“I’m flashing lights,” he said. “I ran to the end of the station.”
 
The train operator, a colleague he simply knows as Ms. John, noticed his flashlight and stopped in the nick of time.
 
“If the train had not stopped when it did, the good Samaritans could have easily gotten hurt,” he said. “It wasn’t just me. Ms. John was alert. When you flash the lights across the tracks, they know it’s a sign to stop.”
 
A few minutes later, EMTs were caring for the unidentified victim.
 
“He looked like he was in shock,” Hay said.
 
In the end, the good Samaritans disappeared and Hay went on with his day.
 
“I got to do something good,” he said. “I didn’t talk to him or the good Samaritans. We all did our part and got a happy ending.”

NORMAN Y. LONO FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Danny Hay saved a passenger's life after the man had a seizure and fell onto the tracks at the F train Delancey St. station on Sunday.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/mta-operator-stops-f-train-time-save-article-1.1310399#ixzz2Q0Q8Viho

[Quill Depot]

Great for the operator, he saved their lives. 

 

Sorry to be a prick, but The Daily News is using flash, which is against the rules of conduct.

[LRG]

Great for the operator, he saved their lives. 

 

Sorry to be a prick, but The Daily News is using flash, which is against the rules of conduct.

Lol

[realizm]

That T/O had some balls to pull a stunt like that. Good thinking on his part.

[Minato ku]

Does the subway has an emergency button on the platforms ?

It cuts the power on the tracks when actionned.

[ttcsubwayfan]

Good for him! Always nice to hear a story about heroes.

 

However, I'm confused - if the incident at 49th St when the photographer was flashing his camera at the train resulted in the man being run over, why is a flash light different? Curious about this.

[CDTA]

Great for the operator, he saved their lives. 

 

Sorry to be a prick, but The Daily News is using flash, which is against the rules of conduct.

Press is allowed to use flash.

 

 

 

Good for him! Always nice to hear a story about heroes.

 

However, I'm confused - if the incident at 49th St when the photographer was flashing his camera at the train resulted in the man being run over, why is a flash light different? Curious about this.

 

 

Good for him! Always nice to hear a story about heroes.

 

However, I'm confused - if the incident at 49th St when the photographer was flashing his camera at the train resulted in the man being run over, why is a flash light different? Curious about this.

 

 

Flashlights emit different lights.

[bobtehpanda]

Great for the operator, he saved their lives. 

 

Sorry to be a prick, but The Daily News is using flash, which is against the rules of conduct.

 

Minor quibble, but these sorts of things are generally covered by freelance photographers, like the one who took the photos of the Han incident several months back.

[QM1to6Ave]

Great story, but pretty disturbing that his radio did not work in the subway and the S/A was not able to cut power in time. Seems like 2 crucial mechanisms for preventing an accident failed. Good thing he was quick on his feet.  

[46Dover]

Excellent. A feel good story right when needed it the most. All the best to the person who suffered the seizure, a really unfortunate situation for that to happen and on top of that to fall on the tracks. And also to the two people who risked their lives to help the person

 

But out of curiosity, on the tunnel tracks, don't they have like a ditch in between the rails deep enough so that someone could lay flat and the train could pass over top?

[SevenEleven]

Good for him! Always nice to hear a story about heroes.

 

However, I'm confused - if the incident at 49th St when the photographer was flashing his camera at the train resulted in the man being run over, why is a flash light different? Curious about this.

 

Flagging rules.

 

A flashlight going up and down means proceed, with proceed. Going left to right, it means the opposite. Completely different uses of light.

[pjbr40]

46dover, i think he was trying to stop the train from making it happen. it take longer to work if the train is on top of it. remember how long it took when the guy saved a seizure boy on train few years ago.  

[Roadcruiser1]

Excellent. A feel good story right when needed it the most. All the best to the person who suffered the seizure, a really unfortunate situation for that to happen and on top of that to fall on the tracks. And also to the two people who risked their lives to help the person

 

But out of curiosity, on the tunnel tracks, don't they have like a ditch in between the rails deep enough so that someone could lay flat and the train could pass over top?

 

I don't think the New York City Subway has them, but the London Underground does. They are called suicide pits, but they weren't really planned to prevent suicides in the first place. It was to allow water drainage. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_on_the_London_Underground

[Eric B]

NYC does have them, in many places, and different depths. It's called "Type II Modified" track (Newer ones tend to be deeper).

[itmaybeokay]

Good for him! Always nice to hear a story about heroes.

 

However, I'm confused - if the incident at 49th St when the photographer was flashing his camera at the train resulted in the man being run over, why is a flash light different? Curious about this.

 

When they talk about flashing, I'm assuming he means "waving his light side to side over the tracks". It's Railroad lantern signalling that dates back to the earliest days of railroading. It should be generally understood by anyone operating a train, so smart and ballsy move on the off duty T/O's part. 

 

Apropos: here's a link that looks like it dates back to the early days of internetting. http://www.thortrains.net/handtalk.htm

 

Also a camera flash is a lot brighter and a lot faster resulting the the operator becoming "dazzled" and unable to clearly see the tracks. A flashlight is a lot less light. 

 

Does the subway has an emergency button on the platforms ?

It cuts the power on the tracks when actionned.

 

There isn't one on the platform, but there is one next to every blue light you see in the tunnels. Getting to it in this kind of emergency might be challenging though. The T/O's move was probably smarter. Thus is the reason I always keep a flashlight in my bag. 

[realizm]

I don't think the New York City Subway has them, but the London Underground does. They are called suicide pits, but they weren't really planned to prevent suicides in the first place. It was to allow water drainage. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_on_the_London_Underground

 

Yes they did. The IND as well, they did have that in mind unlike the BMT or IRT during it's heyday as a separate entity in the 20th century. That was the reason aside from simply water drainage..  The IRT also had their designs via pumping systems which was also effective however the IND had the concept in mind (protection for those falling on the tracks) to design continuous pits along it's concrete tie style of track layout. Also slashing costs in track layout. It's been cited in articles, they actually adopted the idea from the London Underground. 

 

Google it.

 

This was one of the features on the IND during it's conception all they way back when the CPW and 8th Ave line was constructed. The IND innovated in this concept moving away from ballast and ties along with other technical reasons. I'm in accord with Eric B on his additional points. Obviously he knows what he is talking about.

[Minato ku]

Does the subway has an emergency button on the platforms ?

It cuts the power on the tracks when actionned.

 

 

There isn't one on the platform, but there is one next to every blue light you see in the tunnels. Getting to it in this kind of emergency might be challenging though. The T/O's move was probably smarter. Thus is the reason I always keep a flashlight in my bag. 

 

This is what I mean (what we have in Paris).

This is an emergency terminal, it provides several services.

Particularly a device that can cut the power if somebody falls in the track, everybody can use it.

You break the windows and pull the handle and then the power is shut down.

[AndrewJC]

Flagging rules.

 

A flashlight going up and down means proceed, with proceed. Going left to right, it means the opposite. Completely different uses of light.

 

And a camera flash blinking means nothing at all (and probably distracts the train operator).