A Chicago man has been hailed as a saviour as he leapt into action without caring for his own life, to save a man stuck on electrical tracks that were sending 600 volts of current through his body. The rescuer, identified as Tony Perry, is a 20-year-old resident of Chicago who was felicitated in a ceremony after risking his life.
Warning: The following video may be disturbing for some viewers
Recordings of the incident have gone viral, with the video initially showing a man's unconscious body spasming while lying on rail tracks. Perry then jumps down and tries to free the man while bystanders tell him to be careful as he could be shocked by just touching him. He then manages to very carefully move the body out of the tracks.
In an interview with CBS News, Perry said, “The guy didn't have no control over his body…I did hear somebody say as I got on the track, 'don't touch him!'…I could've kept walking, but I was like, you know what? I'm not going to keep walking - because God wouldn't want me to do that… so I took action immediately.”
He went on to add in the interview, “I was thinking about, if that was me in that situation, how would I want people to treat me?...I'm just happy that the guy was alive, more than anything. I didn't see myself as a hero, to be honest.”
Tony Perry was felicitated in a local ceremony where he was even gifted a brand new Audi A6 car from a local businessman.
According to CBS News, the man had fallen onto the tracks after he reportedly instigated a fight with another commuter by spitting on him. Both then proceeded to fight while they were on the track with both of them being admitted to the hospital. While the man that was assaulted suffered a burn on his left leg and abrasions in his mouth, the man that Perry saved is in critical condition.
