DARING RESCUE ON PATH TRACKS /font>

Wednesday, June 29, 2005 By LEE LOWENTHAL Jersey Journal Staff Writer

The near-tragedy occurred at 9:48 p.m. Saturday on the platform for the 33rd Street-bound train, PATH spokesman Steve Coleman said. The unidentified man suddenly went into seizure-like convulsions and then fell motionless onto the track bed, said Arkady Kiner, an East Brunswick resident who was among the 20 or so people waiting for the train.

Two men stepped forward from the crowd of onlookers and jumped the 41/2-foot gap between the platform and the track beds and tried to push the man back up onto the platform, Kiner said. It was at that point, Kiner said, that he heard the rumble of the approaching train from around the bend. "That was the most horrifying moment," Kiner said. "People were screaming that a train was coming."

As the lights of the train came into view, the two men worked with people on the platform to hoist the man to safety, Kiner said. Meanwhile, the train's alert engineer slammed on the brakes, bringing it to a screeching halt.

The rescued man got up and then, without a word, walked off, Kiner said. "Everybody gathered around to see how he feels . and all of the sudden, he got up, face completely clear, and said nothing at all," Kiner said.

© 2005 The Jersey Journal

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