Post by GerryT on Jan 5, 2007 16:36:29 GMT -5
One of the best stories I've read or heard in ages. Restores some faith in humanity and puts things in perspective:
Wesley Austin was taking his two daughters aged 6 and 4 back to their mom and they were waiting for the subway to Harlem. A young student has an epileptic seizure on the platform, loses his balance and falls onto the track with a train about a minute away.
Austin tells his daughters not to move and jumps to the track. He pushes the student to a 2 foot safety trough on the track and shields the young man with his body. The train barely avoids hitting them. When the train passes, Austin lets everyone know they are OK. They were taken to a hospital and the young man was admitted for observation. Austin did not have a scratch!
Austin's daughters and the passengers saw a truly selfless and heroic act. He said he was just helping someone in need. He said that the only heroes are the soldiers fighting in Iraq. He was a Vietnam veteran and appreciates the sacrifices soldiers make.
The city hailed Austin as a hero, and he was given $5,000.00 plus scholarships for his daughters by the school the young man attends. He was also given $10,000.00 by Donald Trump, a year's free transportation on the subway and a City Hall tribute from Mayor Bloomberg. And he was also a guest on the Today and Letterman programs. He said his 15 minutes of fame were nice, but he is just an ordinary person living a normal life. Many did not agree.
Wesley Austin was taking his two daughters aged 6 and 4 back to their mom and they were waiting for the subway to Harlem. A young student has an epileptic seizure on the platform, loses his balance and falls onto the track with a train about a minute away.
Austin tells his daughters not to move and jumps to the track. He pushes the student to a 2 foot safety trough on the track and shields the young man with his body. The train barely avoids hitting them. When the train passes, Austin lets everyone know they are OK. They were taken to a hospital and the young man was admitted for observation. Austin did not have a scratch!
Austin's daughters and the passengers saw a truly selfless and heroic act. He said he was just helping someone in need. He said that the only heroes are the soldiers fighting in Iraq. He was a Vietnam veteran and appreciates the sacrifices soldiers make.
The city hailed Austin as a hero, and he was given $5,000.00 plus scholarships for his daughters by the school the young man attends. He was also given $10,000.00 by Donald Trump, a year's free transportation on the subway and a City Hall tribute from Mayor Bloomberg. And he was also a guest on the Today and Letterman programs. He said his 15 minutes of fame were nice, but he is just an ordinary person living a normal life. Many did not agree.
