Georgia emergency personnel are hailing a CSX conductor a hero for saving a homeless man from being struck and killed by a train.
On January 29, the conductor was headed into Marietta, Georgia, with a mile-long freight train, the local police department said in a statement.
“He noticed a person down on the tracks and because of his swift action he was able to stop the mile long train before striking the male,” the department shared in a Facebook post. “It turned out the homeless man had fallen and was unable to get up. He (was) hypothermic and if struck by the swift moving train would surely have been killed instantly.”
The conductor was able to bring the train to a stop, saving the man’s life.
Neither the conductor nor the man were immediately identified.
First responders — including metro ambulance, the Marietta Fire Department and Marietta police officers — trekked across loose gravel for about a quarter mile before reaching the man at the tracks.
They carried the man to safety and transported him to Kennestone hospital for treatment, the Marietta Police Department stated.
“CSX commends the swift actions our crew displayed in Marietta, GA,” company spokeswoman Sheriee Bowman said in an email to the Associated Press. “Railroad operations can be dangerous. Fortunately, no one was injured. This is an important reminder to stay away from railroad tracks.”
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