A grandpa didn’t think twice as he chased after his 18-month-old granddaughter, who was strapped in a stroller. By the way, her stroller was cruising towards train tracks — and an oncoming train.
The 62-year-old grandpa had just arrived in Sydney, Australia, a few days prior, and had gone on an outing with his wife, his daughter and his granddaughter. He told police that he let go of the stroller handle for just a moment to speak to the child’s mother, and the toddler and her wheels were quickly whisked away by the downward slope of the platform.
Thanks to closed-circuit security cameras, we are able to see what happens next. You can see the little girl go cruising by, then a moment later her grandpa runs after her, followed closely by his wife and daughter.
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Another angle shows the girl crashing onto the tracks, still tightly buckled in. A heart-stopping moment later, Grandpa hops down there and lifts the child and her stroller to safety.
Of course, once he does that, he has to figure out how he can scramble to safety himself, as the train is rapidly approaching the station. It’s too steep to climb out easily, so he runs down the track to find an easier place to reach higher ground. A few seconds after he dashes out of view, the train comes roaring in.
Fortunately, the little girl escaped serious injury, sustaining some bumps and bruises but pretty OK considering her stroller crashed down onto train tracks minutes before a freight train came barreling through. And her grandfather, who acted without a moment’s thought, also escaped injury.
Of course, there is a pretty important cautionary tale here. You have to keep your hands on your child’s stroller when you’re out and about, and if you’re thinking about taking your hands off for a moment, please ensure that the ground is not sloped, particularly toward a potentially deadly situation (train tracks, a river, a busy street, a pit of alligators and so on). Most strollers are equipped with brakes, but even then, you have to be very careful on the off chance they come undone.
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This toddler girl is so lucky her grandpa noticed that she was wheeling away when he did, and that he was able to jump down and save her life (and it’s wonderful he didn’t get himself killed in doing so). I’m also sure he will never be so casual about holding on to a stroller again.
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