Friday, August 8, 2014

United We Stand

All heave! Commuters work together to free with their bare hands man whose leg had become stuck between platform and train

  • People power saved a commuter whose leg became wedged between the gap in Perth, Western Australia during rush hour
  • Transperth praised the actions of all who helped lift the train off the man
  • The incident was not a problem caused by overcrowding
  • Ambulance were called but the man escaped without injury
By Cindy Tran



Commuters and railway staff teamed up to free a man by rocking a train carriage to free his leg after he became trapped between the platform and a carriage on Wednesday morning.
The man was boarding a rush hour train at Stirling station, 9km northwest of Perth, Western Australia, at 8.50am when he slipped and one leg became wedged in the gap.
Quick-thinking passengers and staff saved the man's leg, as it was being squeezed by the 90-tonne of train, by collectively rocking the carriage. 

The man was boarding a Perth-bound train at Stirling Station when he slipped and one leg became wedged in the gap
The man was boarding a Perth-bound train at Stirling Station when he slipped and one leg became wedged in the gap



Quick-thinking passengers and staff saved the man leg's, as it was being squeezed by the 90-tonne of train, by collectively rocking the carriage
Quick-thinking passengers and staff saved the man leg's, as it was being squeezed by the 90-tonne of train, by collectively rocking the carriage  

'He stood in the doorway and as he was sort of taking up his position there, one leg slipped outside the door, slipped outside the gap, and he was stuck,' Transperth spokesman David Hynes told the  ABC.
'We alerted the driver, made sure the train didn't move.
'Then our staff who were there at the time got the passengers, and there were lots of them, off the train, and organised them to sort of rock, tilt the train backwards away from the platform so they were able to get him out and rescue him.' 


The man was boarding the rush hour train when slipped into the crack to the horror of passengers
The man was boarding the rush hour train when slipped into the crack to the horror of passengers
A number of passengers got off the train to help rail staff rock the train to help set the man free
A number of passengers got off the train to help rail staff rock the train to help set the man free


An ambulance was called to the station but the man did not sustain any serious injuries.
Mr Hynes said it was not a problem caused by overcrowding and praised the actions of staff and passengers who helped free the man.
'Everyone sort of pitched in. It was people power that saved someone from possibly quite serious injury,' he said.
The man (circled) was helped away by a staff member so he could be treated by paramedics, as passengers re-boarded the train
The man (circled) was helped away by a staff member so he could be treated by paramedics, as passengers re-boarded the train

Nicolas Taylor told Perth Now that he and fellow passengers got off the train and worked together to free the man by pushing against the carriage away from the platform.
'He seemed to be a bit sheepish, because right where he fell was the ‘mind the gap’ writing,' he said.
Mr Taylor said Transperth staff coordinated the incident well, taking about 10 minutes to free him.
'They did a really good job, they took control and handled it well. When I first saw it I thought we’d be there for hours.' he said.

No comments:

Post a Comment