Earlier this week, Christopher Knafelc, was waiting for a train when he noticed that a man fell down onto the tracks. He immediately got up to rescue the man.
“I can’t imagine not helping someone in that position,” said Knafelc, 32, after he saved the man after he stumbled off the platform, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.
Knaflec jumped up from a bench he was sitting on around 20 feet away from where the man fell down. He sprinted past bystanders and jumped down on the track to evaluate the man, while yelling at a cashier to stop a train.
“Out of the corner of my eye I seen like a body flail onto the tracks,” he told NBC Philadelphia.
He stayed with the man for around 15 minutes, holding the man’s head and neck stable until firefighters came, according to local reports.
His rescue attempt was also captured by surveillance cameras.
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Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Police Chief Thomas J. Nestel III said Knafelc was a hero.
“This is what Philadelphia is all about,” Nestel said.
“I was like 99.9 percent positive that I wouldn’t get electrocuted.” said Knaflec. “I can’t see [the tracks] being able to electrocute you, because too many people would get hurt.”
Nestel, however, said that Knaflec isn’t exactly right about that. The train track near the platform is safe but the track furthest out can electrocute people.
“At that time of day, the trains run every seven minutes, and you can see how many people are on the platform,” he said, describing the fall and rescue.
The 63-year-old man who fell down was promptly taken to Temple University Hospital and is expected to be fine, according to NBC, citing SEPTA officials.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
