NEW YORK — Five Metro-North employees have been honored for their actions after helping a 3-year-old boy near Westchester County train tracks to safety, the MTA said.
It was just after 3 p.m. on April 6 when an engineer saw something near the train tracks north of Tarrytown while driving a southbound Hudson Line train, according to the transit agency in commmon. He soon realized it was a small child and immediately alerted nearby train crews.
Another engineer and a trainee engineer, both on a northbound train, slowly approached the area and soon after saw the boy on track near and then over a third rail electrified, the MTA said. The conductor then jumped onto the tracks and ran 40 meters to pick up the boy and hoist him on board. The train then returned to Tarrytown station.
Meanwhile, the boy’s mother and sister were seen sobbing in the corner and saying the 3-year-old was missing. A Sleepy Hollow police officer reported a missing child, and two MTA signal maintainers heard a report on their radios that a found child was at the station.
Mother and son met at the station. The boy’s mother said her son had autism and could not speak, the MTA said. It was not immediately clear how the boy ended up on the tracks.
“These excellent team members embodied the qualities we want our employees to exhibit in their roles, alert, responsive, knowledgeable and helpful,” said Catherine Rinaldi, Acting President of Metro-North Railroad LIRR. “With the bravery and composure of superheroes, they averted a terrible outcome and ensured that little boy did not become a statistic. We salute your efforts and your compassion, and we sincerely thank you for your dedication to the people we serve. »