New York City Police Transit officers and a brave New York citizen recently helped rescue a man who lost consciousness and fell onto the subway tracks seconds before the next train arrived.
NYPD posted video of the event with a caption on Twitter that read: “NYPD cops help New Yorkers at any cost!”
According to the post, the sick man lost consciousness and fell off the platform. Fortunately, four NYPD officers were close by to assist.
“Without even thinking we all responded the way we were trained to,” said Officer Lupen Lopez.
The department praised the heroic efforts.
“@NYPD Transit officers didn’t hesitate for a moment to put his safety ahead of their own.”
Video footage shows the officer jump down on the tracks to man. A Good Samaritan then jumps down to help the officer haul the sick man to safety. They are then helped back onto the platform by fellow officers to the applause of onlookers.
Kathleen O’Reilly, the NYPD chief of transit commented on the video.
“That’s officers Lopez, Peguero, Sugrim, and Caban-Bailon from District 12 working as a team to flag the train and get the man to safety. Thank you to everyone who assisted!”
The man who fell was 60-year-old Jessey Branch. According to ABC 7, Branch suffered a seizure while waiting on the platform.
“I know I was standing against the wall, that was that,” Branch said. “I know I wasn’t like leaning against the wall nothing like that.
The injured Branch expressed his gratitude to the officers for their help.
“I’m sore. I broke a couple ribs and I broke a bone in my left arm. I feel very grateful that they were there to help me.”
His daughter also wanted to say “thank you.”
“I thank that police officer,” his daughter Nikita Branch said. “That was the nicest thing that somebody did for an elderly sickly man and if I was there I would’ve shook his hand.”
The scary incident comes after a man had a seizure and fell onto tracks back in May. In that case, officers were able to signal the train to stop while waiting for EMS to arrive.
Capt. Gregory Mackie told ABC 7 that the efforts exemplify officers’ devotion to their community.
“What they do exemplifies what New York City officers do on a daily basis, they help their communities and they genuinely love to create a bond between police and the public, in this case saving a life,” Mackie said.
