22 December,2015 09:43 AM IST | | Saurabh Vaktania
The boy had clambered onto the tracks in a bid to find his parents, but was too short to climb back onto the platform; the cop pulled him to safety just as a train zipped by
A five-year-old boy who had clambered onto the tracks at Ambernath station was saved from certain death by an alert cop who pulled him out of a running train's path at the last moment.
CCTV footage from Ambernath station shows the ATS constable Sandeep Bhosle yanking the five-year-old boy off the tracks, saving him from an approaching train
The cop, Sandeep Bhosle, has spent the last 24 years protecting people as a constable with the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS). On Sunday, however, the Mahim resident was just enjoying a day out with his family.
"The incident took place around 4 in the evening. After a function at my relative's place in Ambernath, my family and I were waiting for a CST fast train at platform 3," recalled Bhosle.
Constable Sandeep Bhosle
On the opposite platform, a five-year-old child was getting restless waiting for his parents to return form the ticket counter on the other end of the station. The boy jumped onto the tracks in a bid to get across the platforms and find them, but he found he couldn't climb back up again. As he tried to climb up on platform 3, a nearby commuter tried to help, but failed.
Meanwhile, Bhosle noticed what was happening, and also saw a train fast approaching the same spot. "The boy jumped on the railway tracks but was too small to climb up on the platform. The train was approaching and the motorman blew the horn twice. Every one was watching what was happening. I saw train approaching as the boy struggled to climb up," recalled Bhosle.
With not a second to spare, Bhosle rushed to the child's aid and yanked him to safety, just as the train whooshed by. "It all passed so quickly, I was shocked and did not completely understand what had happened. The boy's parents were so numb with shock, they couldn't even speak. If I had been even a single second late, it could have been fatal," said Bhosle.
Once the Ambernath GRP police took down the statements of Bhosle and the family, everyone left. Bhosle's quick action was praised by Maharashtra ATS chief Vivek Phansalkar on a phone call. But Bhosle said, "I was thinking of my child, who is around the same age - 6 years old. It wasn't just my duty; everyone should do the same in a situation like this."
