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Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Subway Superman Saves Stranger

Wow - what a moving story! I hope this guy Wesley Autrey has a great life after this. I like the last couple of sentences: Autrey's elderly mother thinks it's "the Lord" saving the men, while his cute daughter wonders if her father is going to become Superman! Indeed, we prefer the latter. Why didn't the all-powerful Lard prevent the man from falling into the subway in the first place? Was He just trying to bring a little excitement into the lives of jaded New Yawkers? Let's give credit where it is due: Quick-thinking Autrey risked his own neck to save a total stranger. He's the hero, not "the Lord."

Look for a movie to be made out of this awesome story...
Subway hero saves stranger
Train passes over pair lying on tracks

Andrew Strickler
Newsday
January 3, 2007

NEW YORK – When Wesley Autrey saw the man suffering a seizure fall onto the subway tracks, he jumped in to save the stranger.

As he tried to pull the man to safety at the Harlem stop, Autrey looked up.

"I saw the two white lights, and said, 'Whoa, you ain't got no time,' " Autrey said.

Autrey, 50, grabbed Cameron Hollopeter, 20, in a bear hug and the pair landed in a shallow trough filled with dirty water, with Autrey on top.

The screeching train missed the pair by the barest of margins.

"In my mind, I believed, I hoped, the train had enough clearance," he said. "It didn't hit my head; it just nicked my cap."

Wesley estimated they were under the train for 20 minutes before the power to an adjacent track was cut so emergency workers could safely remove them.

At St. Luke's Hospital, where Hollopeter was taken for treatment for the seizure and minor injuries, thankful family member Jeff Friedman said Hollopeter was shaken by the experience.

Friedman, 55, of New Jersey, said Hollopeter was the son of his daughter's husband and was studying to be a film director at New York Film Academy.

"He's a talented writer, but he couldn't have written the screenplay any better," Friedman said.

Hollopeter's father was on his way to New York from Massachusetts and sent thanks to Wesley, Friedman said.

"I'd like to buy him a drink, maybe a hundred drinks," Friedman said.

The near miss occurred Tuesday about 12:44 p.m., as Autrey and Hollopeter waited separately for a downtown train.

Wesley, who was taking his two young daughters to meet their mother, said he saw Hollopeter fall on his back on the platform and begin to convulse.

After running to a transit worker to call for help, Wesley said he returned to Hollopeter, who was still convulsing and choking. Wesley got a pen from another rider and forced it between Hollopeter's jaws.

Hollopeter soon appeared to recover, and even stood to walk on the platform, Autrey said.

But then Hollopeter stumbled and fell onto the tracks, and Autrey jumped after him.

A Navy veteran who grew up in Brewton, Ala., Autrey was humble about his heroism.

"I'm just saying, I saw someone in distress and went to his aid," Autrey said.

The No. 1 train pulled in and tried to stop to avoid hitting the pair. Police said at least two cars passed over them before coming to a halt.

Tuesday afternoon, members of Wesley's family gathered at his mother's apartment to cheer Autrey's heroism and give thanks for his survival.

"It was the Lord who did it. Can you picture it? God just moved that train over him," said Autrey's mother, Mary Autrey, 69.

Autrey's daughter had a different interpretation.

"Is my daddy going to become Superman?" Shaqui, 6, asked.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sure glad dat brain-dead momma ain't mine. I'd disown her. My momma would be proud o'me! You right..what god got to do wid it, do wid it...la la la. A person do someting like dat, they is SUPER. Someone did someting like dat for me..I would hug the heck outta dem and kiss their feet.

Rich Tatum said...

Yes, all praise be to evolution and molecules in motion!

In a Darwinistic world, there is nothing more contrary to self-preservation and species-preservation than risking one's life to save an ailing and clearly "defective" member of the gene-pool.

Without anything to ground your morality in but the needs of a biological animal your praise of Autrey is nonsensical.

The only reason you can even admire his actions as "good" or "super" is because you know that there is such a thing as "right" and "wrong." These are not concepts inspired by biology, but by the ultimate Law Giver.

At least be consistent.

Regards,

Rich
BlogRodent

Acharya S said...

Now I've seen everything. What patent nonsense. Common human decency does not prove any "ultimate lawgiver," i.e., a giant man in the sky, if that's what you're implying.

Acharya S said...

I should add that it is foolishly presumptuous and arrogant to assume that because I do not subscribe to the childish and deleterious Christian interpretation of "God" as "the Lord" - i.e., a giant, anthropomorphic daddy in the sky - I am championing the cause of evolution and atheism. I could be a Buddhist or a Hindu for all you know. Your myopic cultural conditioning is shining through, not your presumed brilliance in what you think is an "inconsistency" in my commentary.

Anonymous said...

Truly, I believe that it WAS indeed the LORD who looked out for them! If Autrey had not been there at that precise moment in time and space (which incidently, is controlled by the LORD--see Psalm 24:1), it could have EASILY turned out the other way! The Bible reads, "there is but a STEP between me and death" 1st Samuel 20:3, and that "...it is APPOINTED (scheduled) unto men once to die," (Hebrews 9:27). Obviously, it was NOT their appointed time, because the LORD OF TIME AND ETERNITY was "their very present help in the time of trouble;" (Psalm 46:1) and as they both "walked through the valley of the shadow of death," God was with them (Psalm 23:4). The very same Bible also records, "THE FOOL HAS SAID IN HIS HEART THERE IS NO GOD" (Psalm 14:1; Psalm 53:1). I didn't say it, but those words are inspired straight from the heart of God, who really DOESN'T want you to be a fool by scoffing, but to be a true believer and to know him through his word. Thank you for the space to reply.