Hero commuter saves man from Chicago subway third rail in harrowing video
Shocking video captured the moment a Chicago commuter leaped into action to rescue an unconscious man who was seen twitching after falling onto the electrified third rail during a fight.
Anthony Perry, 20, was getting off the Chicago Transit Authority Red Line train on Sunday afternoon when he noticed two men going to blows, the local CBS affiliate reported.
“I immediately noticed there was a fight because both guys got their dukes up – they were like putting their stuff down,” Perry told the outlet.
One of the combatants was waiting for a train when the other spat in his face and punched him, according to police. Both men fell onto the tracks, where they continued their slugfest.
But when the suspected instigator ended up on the third rail, he was jolted by 600 volts, went into convulsions and passed out as people whipped out their cell phones to capture the mayhem, CBS 2 reported.
“The guy didn’t have no control over his body,” said Perry, who selflessly jumped below to save the man’s life.
“I did hear somebody say as I got on the track, ‘Don’t touch him!’” he said.
“I could’ve kept walking, but I was like, you know what? I’m not going to keep walking because God wouldn’t want me to do that so I took action immediately,” Perry told the station.
He said that as he grabbed the man, he felt a violent jolt.
“It was strong – like it went through my whole body. I remember after that, my whole body was still kind of shaky,” Perry recounted.
With the help of another commuter, the heroic good Samaritan began administering CPR to the man, who eventually regained consciousness.
The dramatic scene was captured by Tavi Ghee, who described it “definitely surreal. That was an out-of-body experience,” ABC 7 reported.
When asked by CBS what he thought about risking his life, Perry said, “I was kind of like, dang, I did that? That was me? I was kind of surprised that I would take myself to that level — but I’m kind of not surprised, because I’m always helping people. That’s my instinct.”
He added: “I was thinking about, if that was me in that situation, how would I want people to treat me? I’m just happy that the guy was alive, more than anything. I didn’t see myself as a hero, to be honest.”
But on Wednesday, he was rewarded for his act with a car – a 2008 Audi A6 given by Windy City businessman Early Walker, who played a little joke at first.
The philanthropist handed Perry – whose own car’s transmission recently gave out — a gift card for gas.
Walker then rolled out the luxury sedan, which will allow Perry to make his 90-minute commute for work. Also on hand were police and members of the community.
“We just wanted to honor you,” Walker told the young man, ABC 7 reported. “We wanted to literally show our appreciation because we need more people like you. We need more Anthonys in the world.
“Anthony thought of the victim and not necessarily himself in this quick decision to save the victim’s life,” he said, according to Fox 32.
“He then took careful instructions to perform CPR and saved a person’s life who laid hopelessly on a live track,” added Walker, who founded the “I’m Telling, Don’t Shoot” organization.
The other man involved in the fight fled the scene.
“Our detectives are on the case, working to identify and get those photos out there and see if anybody can actually know who that particular person is,” police Cmdr. Roderick Watson said, ABC 7 reported.
The man Perry rescued remains in serious condition at the University of Chicago Medical Center, officials said.
