School kid saves man collapsed on tracks from oncoming train

[MHTransport]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sch ... 87281.html

Mark O'Dwyer owes his life to a 14-year-old punk rocker and an edgy television science program.

The 54-year-old was waiting at Lisarow train station on the Central Coast at 2.45pm on October 19 when he fainted and toppled two metres from the platform onto the tracks below, as a freight train bore down on the station.

Julian Shaw, who is 180 centimetres tall and weighs 70 kilograms, was travelling home from school with classmates when he saw Mr O'Dwyer, who is 187 centimetres tall and weighs 110 kilograms, fall. Julian leapt into action.

"I jumped down on to the tracks, lifted him off the ground and put him on my shoulder - he was heavy but there was enough adrenaline rushing through to help me," said Julian, who is in year 9 at Lisarow High School and plays guitar in punk rock band Checkered Fist.

With the train "just a couple of metres away", Julian moved the North Gosford resident to the edge of the track and rolled him under the platform.

But danger was not totally averted.

"[As the train roared past] the noise pierced your ears and there was a suction that pulled us in," Julian said.

"I'd seen that on MythBusters, so I stayed right back and pulled Mark back towards me."

The train eventually passed safely, and the pair chatted until ambulance officers arrived.

[doktorhonig]

Great! Would be interesting, if someone of the so-called "normal" people would have done that for a punker (that may look a bit scary).

[Raichase]

Yeah, read that in the paper. Pretty damned gutsy.

Thanks for sharing .

[Hyronymus]

Good guy but a horrible article. What kind of paper was this printed in, looks like a just-started tabloid.

[jvassie]

Crikey, thats quite astounding. Good on the kid!

[Raichase]

Good guy but a horrible article. What kind of paper was this printed in, looks like a just-started tabloid.

Sydney Morning Herald, my preffered newspaper. Don't bother with the Daily Telegraph, if there's nothing going on, they just make up something anti-government or anti-railways, and publish it as "the big scoop". Other Sydneysiders prefer other papers, but I grew up reading the SMH, and thats the way it will stay.

[Hyronymus]

OT but change newspaper, Raichase! You can read well-written texts.

[Raichase]

OT but change newspaper, Raichase! You can read well-written texts.

It's easy to read, and the facts are what matters. Seems to be up to the individual reporter, too.

[DeletedUser21]

wow kudos to the kid! Amazing!

[MHTransport]

OT but change newspaper, Raichase! You can read well-written texts.

Oh, for a diverse market of local media.

The SMH is the best newspaper in Sydney. The largest paper is the Daily Telegraph a generally awful tabloid; which loves beat-ups and hates railways; owned by News Corp. The regional papers are pointless and are all owned by News Corp and are junk mail with puff pieces. Unfortunately the SMH keeps trying to compete with the Tele; and is slowly loosing quality.

The local television is just as tabloid as the Tele. Even the public broadcaster the ABC is tabloid news. ABC's Stateline is the only local news on TV that has any value.

Oh, for a paper like the Guardian.

Shame the market is too small, and business model is dying.

ABC News Online is getting better, but the stories lack the depth the should have. Especially those sourced from a wire service. http://abc.net.au/news/

[Jose]

Glad to see im not the only one who cant stand the daily telegraph, i much prefer to read the SMH or The Newcastle herald. I hate sitting on the train in the mornings on my way to Newcastle listening to people read the daily telegraph 'stories' and then whinging and whineing about cityrail, embellishing past experiences they have had with cityrail to prove to me how much hopless they are.

[Raichase]

Still, one thing Sydneysiders CAN agree on is that MX is a load of rubbish. Complete and utter CRAP speaking to a legion of yuppies who catch the train after driving down the road (5 minute walk) to the station, spending a good 15 minutes waiting for a park for their fuel-guzzeling 4WD's, just so they can feel good about the environment. They LOVE to hear how Cityrail is out to get it's passengers, and they seem to enjoy leaving MX to scatter all over the train when they're done with it. Such is their LOVE for the environment.

[Dave]

News Corp = w***.