A crazy day in New York

What happened this morning is too crazy to spend too much time on and I am still in shock, feeling nauseous and shaken for most of the day.

I am staying with Daragh (my childhood friend from growing up in Newfoundland, Canada) her husband Mike and their 13 month old daughter Anthea. They live in Park Slope, Brooklyn and are my hosts for the next 4 days. I see Daragh, if I am lucky about once per year and she has taken the day off today (Friday) to show me round lower Manhattan etc. We are standing on the platform of Union Street subway station in Brooklyn waiting for a train into Manhattan for the Staten Island Ferry. About 10 yards to my right a man just collapses onto the rails of the track (very similar set up to the that of the Underground in London, about a 4 foot drop down on to the rails) from where I am standing he falls on his head and shoulder and he seems unconscious. The next couple of minutes are a complete blur.

I run down to the station master offices (MTA) and scream at them to stop any trains, unsure as to whether they can even do that, I run back to the guy. There is a group of about 20 people standing on the platform and yelling at the guy on the tracks to get up, but he doesn't move. As I get near I slip on the slimy platform and slide to level where he is lying. Several thoughts go through my head: how close is the incoming train; has the station master stopped it; which is the electrified rail; can I get down there and back up with him before the train arrives; how heavy is he (over 100 kilos). As I am lying there on my front he sits up and I think I can reach him without jumping down, but I start to hear an approaching train. I reach all the way over so that just my knees are left of the platform and grab hold of the man's shoulders, screaming at the people behind me to pull my legs. Someone grabs my waist and I have something to lever against to pull him to the edge of the tracks, but he is a dead weight in his semi unconscious state. I adjust my hold and grab his belt and try to lift him up onto the platform, but he is so heavy all the belt loops break and his belt ends up around his waist and he drops back down to the rails. People behind me are screaming that train is coming and I grip him tighter and hoist him up on to the platform and at the last minute another guy helps pull his legs up behind him and helps relieve his huge weight, the guy collapses on top of me and I can feel his full unconscious weight splayed across me as I am laying face up looking at 20 shocked faces. The train suddenly arrives but fortunately it is an express on the platform opposite and so breathe a huge sigh of relief, the noise I believe was completely amplified because of the situation and I had no idea where it was coming from over the din of screaming passengers.

It transpires that the guy, Frank, had had a seizure whilst stood on the platform and just fell onto the tracks hitting his head and became unconscious. Fortunately there was a nurse nearby to help and we waited for the paramedics and fire department to arrive before he was stretchered off to a local hospital.

I have been in a bit of state for most of the day, sore arms and legs and dirty clothes and in a mild state of shock. At the end of the day I wanted to go and find out if he was OK and thanks to Daragh's detective work (calling the city for records of ambulance pick-ups) we found he was at the Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn but as we didn't know his last name we were unable to inquire as to his well being. I hope he is doing well.