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Video: Seattle officers pull injured man from tracks moments before train barrels through

The man, who was having a mental health crisis, had leapt from a ledge onto the tracks 25 feet below, severely injuring himself; officers pulled him off the tracks just in time

By Joanna Putman
Police1

SEATTLE — A Seattle police officer risked his life to rescue a man experiencing a mental health crisis from train tracks, moments before an oncoming train passed, NBC News reported.

The incident occurred on Oct. 7 when officers responded to a man standing on a ledge above railroad tracks, according to the report.

Video footage released by the Seattle Police Department shows officers working to talk the 57-year-old man down from the ledge. Despite their efforts, the man fell 25 feet onto the tracks, sustaining serious injuries.

As a train approached, two officers rushed onto the tracks, pulling him to safety just seconds before the train passed.

The man, who suffered multiple fractures, was treated at the scene by the Seattle Fire Department and later taken to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition. The police department praised the officers’ bravery, stating their quick action saved the man’s life.

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