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The incident happened on Thursday, April 6 around 3:15 p.m., when MTA Locomotive Engineer William Kennedy was operating a southbound Hudson Line train north of Tarrytown station when he noticed a young child on the northbound track, according to MTA officials.
Kennedy then sent out an emergency radio communication to all nearby train crews to let them know about the child.
Soon after this, northbound Train 737, operated by Locomotive Engineer Shawn Loughran and an engineer trainee, approached the scene at a slow speed until the child was spotted on a track near a dangerous electrified third rail, officials said.
As the child moved closer and closer to the electrified rail, the train came to a stop and Assistant Conductor Marcus Higgins jumped out. He then ran 40 yards in front of the train to the boy, picked him up, and brought him aboard.
The dramatic rescue can be seen in a video released by the MTA.
The train then made its way to Tarrytown station where the crew was met by MTA police officers and Tarrytown EMS.
At the same time that this was happening, MTA Signal Maintainers Max Chong and Christopher Fraina had been heading to the scene to help when they came upon the boy's mother and sister sobbing at a street corner.
The mother explained to them that her three-year-old boy, who has autism, was missing, and when a Sleepy Hollow police officer approached them and mentioned a missing child report, the group realized they were searching for the same boy.
When the two signal maintainers received a report that the boy had been found, they all drove to Tarrytown station, where the family was reunited on the platform.
Several of the MTA employees who assisted with the rescue commented that they were glad the incident had a happy ending.
"In the heat of the moment when you see a child in this situation, your first instinct is to make sure they’re safe," said Higgins, who grabbed the boy and brought him to safety inside the train.
"I’m glad our crew was there and able to help," he continued.
Kennedy, who first spotted the boy on the tracks, also commented, saying, "Everybody’s quick thinking and the perfect timing allowed us to get this child off the tracks and back to his family.”
The employees who were involved in the incident were awarded by the MTA in a commendation ceremony.
"With the bravery and calm comportment of superheroes, they averted a horrific outcome and saw to it that this little boy was not going to become a statistic," said Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi, who added, "We salute their efforts and compassion, and heartily thank them for their dedication to the people we serve.”
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