Commuters' quick-thinking act after toddler falls onto Sydney train tracks
Dramatic footage has captured the moment panicked commuters jump onto Sydney train tracks to rescue a toddler who fell down the gap between a train and platform.
The video, filmed at Wolli Creek in Sydney’s south on Monday morning and shared on the Auburn 2144 Facebook page, shows a frantic mother watching on as a group attempts to rescue her daughter.
Yahoo News Australia understands a mother was attempting to board the train with a young child and a pram about 9.15am Monday.
The mum is heard in the video saying her daughter panicked and tried to get off the train when tragedy struck and she fell through the gap.
In the video, commuters are seen hovering over the yellow line, peering between the platform and the train while the mother is visibly distressed.
“Where is she?” someone in the video is heard asking before an announcement is made the train is not going anywhere.
The mother is then seen walking with an employee from Sydney Trains along the platform, with people comforting her as she walks past.
Station staff were quick to act and a train guard had alerted the driver not to move the train.
At the other end of the platform, a man has got the toddler and is carrying her towards her mother while people shake his hand.
The child crawled under the train to the other side and three men retrieved her.
The man then hands the mother to her daughter and walks away, while the Sydney Trains employee shakes his hand and asks for the Good Samaritan’s name to “thank” him.
“This would have been an incredibly distressing situation for any parent and we would like to thank our quick-thinking staff and customers for their actions in helping to rescue this young girl,” Sydney Trains Chief Customer Officer Suzanne Holden told Yahoo News Australia in a statement.
“Thankfully the toddler was unharmed, but incidents such as this serve as an important reminder that the gap between the train and the platform can vary across the network, and our staff are always happy to help if you require assistance.”
ABC reports the footage was captured by Joseph Mourtada, who saw the commotion on the platform when he was walking up the stairs.
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