Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

News

Columbia Employee Rescues Man From Subway Tracks

Jen Chung

Published Mar 21, 2008

Modified Mar 21, 2008

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Jen Chung

Published Mar 21, 2008

Modified Mar 21, 2008

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

A man waiting for a downtown train at the 116th Street station last Friday jumped into the subway tracks, crossed the third rail in order to save a man who fell on the uptown side.
Veeramuthu Kalimuthu, a Columbia University mechanic, managed to lift the man to the platform and then crossed the tracks again in order to catch a downtown train.

A Bwog tipster at the scene said a man tumbled off the platform into the tracks, and people started yelling and running up to tell transit workers. Kalimuthu spoke to the Daily News about his quick thinking:

"Everyone was screaming and running in different directions," he said. "There was no time to think. I had to do what I had to do."

In a selfless act similar to subway superman Wesley Autrey, Kalimuthu said he jumped onto the tracks 5 feet below.

"I wasn't scared because I knew which one the third rail was," said the 46-year-old husband and father. "Like a little rabbit, I was just jumping across!"

Kalimuthu, who is 5'5" and 180 pounds, added the victim was a "heavy guy, about 180 pounds. But I looked and no train was coming, so we had a little time." After lifting him up in a "fireman's carry," Kalimuthu passed the passed out man (apparently drunk!) to someone on the platform.

Columbia assistant university secretary Edward DiJoseph witnessed the rescue and told WCBS 2, "People were getting their cell phones out trying to call the police, somebody's got to help him and then I looked over and I saw the gentlemen Kali jump down, hop over the rails...I think within a minute after he got the man up the train heading Uptown came by. If Kali hadn't moved him I truly … I really believe that the train would've killed him."

Kalimuthu hopes to meet the man he saved and said, "People should help people. If all of us get along well in this world then we'll get a better world to live." Aw! You rule, Mr. Kalimuthu!

Tagged

116th Street subway station

columbia university

hero

rescue

subway

Veeramuthu Kalimuthu

Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE news

Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn

Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.

Rosemary Misdary

Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET

Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say

A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.

Samantha Max

News

Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say

A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.

Samantha Max

Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time

David Brand

School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year

Jessica Gould

NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them

Clayton Guse

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .