With only seconds to spare, a transit worker risks his life to save a suicidal man lying on the tracks

A US transit officer has pulled a man off a set of train tracks less than a second before he was run over. Harrowing video shows the suicidal man lying on the tracks in New Jersey, and transit officer Victor Ortiz trying to haul him out of harm’s way, WABC TV reports.

The man struggles against Mr Ortiz, refusing to budge and trying to roll further away from him on the tracks. But Mr Ortiz doesn’t give up and with one last heave pulls the man and himself clear of the line. A fraction of a second later a train speeds through the station.

Mr Ortiz, who is married with a daughter, told WABC TV said he could see the train coming from half a mile away but was determined to save the man. "He said 'I just want to die, I just want to die, I just want to die', I said no, I'm not going to let you die," Mr Ortiz said. At one stage the man pulled him in, Mr Ortiz said. "And at that point I said to myself, 'I'm going to let go, because this guy's gonna take me with him'," he said. Mr Ortiz’s actions showed the type of bravery and compassion among law enforcement officials that often went unrecognised, NJ Transit said in a statement. "NJ TRANSIT could not be more proud of Victor Ortiz and of the New Jersey Transit Police Department and we hope this serves as a stark reminder of what these men and women do every single day to keep us safe throughout this state.”