Teenage Heroes Dubbed 'Angels' For Saving Man On Train Tracks With Seconds To Spare

May 31, 2024

Today's good news story comes from South Yorkshire, England.

Two teenagers are being hailed as heroes for saving a man from an oncoming train just seconds before it arrived.

Harley (L) and Freddie / Credit: Jill Corbett

Freddie Corbett, 15, and Harley Hollingworth, 16, acted swiftly when they saw a distressed man jump onto the tracks at Bolton upon Dearne train station in South Yorkshire over the weekend.

The friends, waiting for the last train home on Saturday night as their 11pm curfew approached, noticed the man and heard him express his intention to end his life.

"Freddie said, 'You're not doing that, mate,' and without hesitation, jumped onto the tracks despite the oncoming train," Freddie's mother, Jill Corbett, told Sky News.

Harley, who also leapt onto the tracks to help, said, "I wasn't worried about the train; I just wanted to make sure Freddie got him off the tracks. We could see the train's headlights approaching; it's not a very long bend."

Freddie added, "The train arrived about 45 seconds after we got off. The man kept saying, 'you're good lads.' You could tell he was struggling." While awaiting help, Freddie and Harley had a heartfelt conversation with the man, learning about his troubles.

Gary Robinson of Network Rail praised the teenagers for their lifesaving actions.

In a social media post, Gary wrote, "Called out tonight to a male with intent to self-harm on the railway… these two lads were his angels. They dragged him off the railway and talked with him until I arrived. They undoubtedly saved his life!

"Kids often get a bad press, but with humanity like what these lads showed tonight, we are in safe hands! These two lads are a credit to their parents, and I can't speak highly enough about them. If you see them, buy them a J20 (they're not old enough for pints yet)."

Freddie's father, Billy, from Goldthorpe, expressed his pride, saying both parents felt it was "about time we had some good news and good press about our kids."

Harley's father, Dale, added, "I was buzzing. I'm bursting with pride. He's just a typical grumpy teenager, but clearly, he has a heart of gold."