'I Was Afraid For His Life,' Good Samaritan Recounts Saving Man From CTA Blue Line Tracks In Logan Square
CHICAGO (CBS)-- Jessie Contreras was waiting for a train at the CTA Blue Line stop in Logan Square around 11:30 a.m. Monday when he said he heard a "thud."
Contreras saw an unconscious man fall off the platform and onto the train tracks. The train was just minutes away, but Contreras jumped onto the tracks.
"I was afraid for his life," Contreras said. "He wasn't going to be able to help himself."
According to CTA workers, the man was standing with his back to the tracks when he fell backwards, just two feet from the deadly electric third rail.
Contreras managed to drag the man to the edge of the platform where Mikaela Malicoat, along with others, started pulling the man to safety. She said they only had about four minutes to complete the rescue.
"It's insane how brave he was," Malicoat said.
Police suspect the man was on drugs. He was taken to Norwegian American hospital and treated for minor injuries to his head.
"It's my duty to help whenever possible," Contreras said. "That was my moment, so I acted. For me personally, it was a God moment."