David Ashworth was branded a ‘hero’ in the UK after he died trying to save a 38-year-old woman who had jumped onto the train tracks.
It seems that the man who perished was actually a family friend of the woman, who was also hit by the train, but survived the incident.
Relatives of the 74-year-old said they were ‘devastated but very proud’ of him for saving the woman’s life.
Mr Ashworth died after being struck near Chartham railway station in Kent at around 11am yesterday, British Transport Police (BTP) said.
In a statement, his family said: ‘We are very proud of our father’s actions in saving the life of a young lady and clearly devastated at the loss of his life in doing so.
‘Our thoughts are with the young lady, her family, and the train driver and we would like to add that we request privacy at this difficult time.’
The tragedy happened after the woman, from Canterbury, reportedly leapt from a bridge. Mr Ashworth jumped onto the tracks in order to save her life. However, she survived and he died after being hit by the Ramsgate to Charing Cross service.
Witness Michael Kember, 44, described Mr Ashworth as a ‘hero.’ He also said that the train driver had already done all he could to avert the tragedy.
Mr Kember, who was waiting on a platform for another train, told Kent Online: ‘The lady had been on the bridge over the line and then jumped off it, landing right between the rails where she was lying parallel between them. The man then jumped down and was trying to get her off. While he was doing that you could hear the electric rail buzzing, meaning that the train was coming.
‘You could hear the driver was sounding the horn and the brakes of the train were squealing. The man couldn’t get her off and he was then trying to get to the end of the platform but did not make it, and that was when the accident happened. The bloke was a hero.’
The woman is currently in a serious but stable condition in hospital. Tragic, for all parties involved.
Source: Metro
Either make posts about all the heroes of the world or make none at all. Simply because there are more important things going on. Specially if its about giving your life for someone which was doing its best to take her own life. It’s not even worthy of being called heroism, it’s just Stupid with a capital S.
Big Foot, 1: it is not possible to fit every single hero into one post as there are thousands of “heroes” created daily. 2: the woman trying to take her life clearly is unhappy in this world and didn’t feel she had “another way out” of whatever dark place she was/is in; from your post, I would say you have never experienced depression/extreme stress/anxiety but I could be wrong. 3: not one thing in this world is more important than another, no matter how big or how small. 4: the majority of people suffering in this world are hoping someone or something can save them, the fact that this lady was ready to kill herself does not mean she was not wanting to be saved, it means that the world forgot about her in a time of need which is truly very sad.
5: this man who gave up his life for her did that out of pure love, his selfless act means that she can finally receive the help she needs to move on and find happiness. It is true that no life is worth more than another, but that doesn’t mean giving up on one another.
I agree with that comment.
Big foot, you are an Asshole with a capital A. The world needs less of you and more of Mr. Ashworth.