Mensch of the Week: Dwight Orchard, subway hero

With a couple of recent, high-profile subway tragedies in New York City, we may all be feeling a bit edgier underground these days. That’s why this week’s mensch honours go to Dwight Orchard, the 23-year-old George Brown College plumbing student who, last Tuesday, rescued a man who’d tumbled to the tracks at St. Clair West Station (possibly while drunk). Orchard spotted the man falling, dropped his school bag, leapt down onto the tracks, and hauled the man back up—all as an incoming train bore down on both of them.

Orchard didn’t stick around to bask in acclaim either, and boarded the next train. When tracked down after the fact by Toronto Star reporter Niamh Scallan, he seemed a bit dumbfounded by the attention, simply offering, “It was a split-second decision…I didn’t want him dying.”

Secondary mensch plaudits go to the quick-thinking TTC employee who cut power to the station and the electrified third rail.

TAGS

Mensch of the Week

post a comment

Bob

Yes, we have wonderful libraries. Gotta be the best in the world!! Love mine at Shaw and College…it’s small but always busy and provides lots of great services and yes, all the people who work their are friendly and helpful.

At this crazy time in the history of Toronto (think Mayor Ford!) it is good to remember that some things do work amazingly well and we should be proud of them!!

Ciao,

bob
0 0

Report

2:10 pm on January 21, 2013

Reply