A man waiting for a downtown train at the 116th Street station last Friday jumped into the subway tracks, crossed the third rail in order to save a man who fell on the uptown side.
Veeramuthu Kalimuthu, a Columbia University mechanic, managed to lift the man to the platform and then crossed the tracks again in order to catch a downtown train.
A Bwog tipster at the scene said a man tumbled off the platform into the tracks, and people started yelling and running up to tell transit workers. Kalimuthu spoke to the Daily News about his quick thinking:
"Everyone was screaming and running in different directions," he said. "There was no time to think. I had to do what I had to do."
In a selfless act similar to subway superman Wesley Autrey, Kalimuthu said he jumped onto the tracks 5 feet below.
"I wasn't scared because I knew which one the third rail was," said the 46-year-old husband and father. "Like a little rabbit, I was just jumping across!"
Kalimuthu, who is 5'5" and 180 pounds, added the victim was a "heavy guy, about 180 pounds. But I looked and no train was coming, so we had a little time." After lifting him up in a "fireman's carry," Kalimuthu passed the passed out man (apparently drunk!) to someone on the platform.
Columbia assistant university secretary Edward DiJoseph witnessed the rescue and told WCBS 2, "People were getting their cell phones out trying to call the police, somebody's got to help him and then I looked over and I saw the gentlemen Kali jump down, hop over the rails...I think within a minute after he got the man up the train heading Uptown came by. If Kali hadn't moved him I truly … I really believe that the train would've killed him."
Kalimuthu hopes to meet the man he saved and said, "People should help people. If all of us get along well in this world then we'll get a better world to live." Aw! You rule, Mr. Kalimuthu!
