Two NYPD officers were hailed as heroes Monday for springing into action last week and saving a man who fell onto a set of subway tracks in Manhattan.
Officers Brunel Victor and Taufique Bokth were on patrol the afternoon of Thanksgiving when they saw a commotion and heard a scream from the opposite side of the station, police said.
The men received a proclamation from Mayor Eric Adams for their quick work at the 116th Street station in East Harlem. At the event honoring the officers' life-saving actions, the pair said they were "just doing our job."
"This is just another 911 call. Instead of being a 911 call, people were crying out for help," Victor said.
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The daring rescue captured by an officer's body camera shows the men race up and down stairs, through an emergency exit and onto the tracks, where they pulled the fallen man to safety.
Both officers were assisted by a bystander who was already trying to help, police said. City officials hope to identity and recognize the good Samaritan for their bravery as well.
The three men were able to hoist the man back to the platform moments before a 6 train barreled into the station.
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Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell praised the officers in a tweet, writing: “The heroics of NY’s Finest always amazes me…. the courage is second nature. Join me in saluting these great cops!”
Officers Victor and Bokth were assigned to the subway station as part of Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams’ efforts to beef up security in the system.
Janno Lieber, the chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority which runs the subway system, said having extra officers posted to trains and stations “not only helps riders feel safer, but in this case enabled brave officers and a good Samaritan — in the finest tradition of New Yorkers helping each other — to save a life.”
The NYPD said one of the officers was able to treat the injured man until EMS arrived and rushed him off to a nearby hospital for injuries to his hand and back.
