Wesley Autrey: Vietnam vet, loving father, real-life action hero:
A 51-year-old man is being called a hero after covering a teenager who fell onto subway tracks in New York as a train passed over them.
Witnesses and officials said Wesly Autrey jumped onto the tracks after Cameron Hollowpeter, 18, suffered a seizure and collapsed Tuesday afternoon in Manhattan. He fell off the platform onto the the subway tracks a few metres below.
Autrey, who was waiting on the train platform with his two daughters, jumped onto the southbound subway tracks where Hollowpeter had fallen.
When he couldn't get him off the tracks as a train approached, he covered the teenager in a space between the rails while two of the train cars passed over them.
"I just chose to dive on top of him and pin him down and pin myself down," said Autrey, a Vietnam war veteran.
When those girls watch action movies, they'll be going "Feh."
(Via Fark.)
UPDATE:
Wesley Autrey: "I am not a hero." Shut up, yes you are.
In this video, Autrey gives credit for his actions to his military training and instincts. (The first update link also contains a video that has a neat computer simulation of the incident.)
He's currently being feted and rewarded, all well-deserved by the subway superhero.
Imagine the hero worship he'll enjoy from those daughters. Probably for the rest of his life.
Oh my, the adoration. This was dad being awesome right in front of their eyes.
Posted by: Donnah at January 3, 2007 04:31 PM