Anil Vannavalli saved 26-year-old Madhuri Recherla who fell on to the train tracks, on Friday morning. In the process, someone stole his backpack containing his laptop and headphones worth $700, and $200 in cash.
An Indian American data administrator Anil Vannavalli, 34, saved Madhuri Recherla, 26, from an approaching train at the Edison train station on Central Avenue, on Friday.
The incident happened around 7.30 a.m. when Vannavalli and Recherla were waiting for the train to leave for work. Apparently, Recherla lost consciousness and fell off from nearly 6 feet high platform. Vannavalli, who was standing a few feet away, noticed his colleague lying on the tracks. He rushed toward Recherla to pull her out as the next train was arriving in just 30 seconds. Two more persons helped him lift Recherla back to safety.
“The first thing in my mind is, I want to save her. The train seemed a little bit far, so I think we can easily save her, so we jumped in and took a chance,” Vannavalli said, ABC reported. The woman broke her ankle and fractured a knee during the fall. She was taken to a hospital.
Vannavalli, who lives in Piscataway, had removed his backpack at the platform, before he leaped to save a life. Someone, however, stole his backpack that contained a laptop, headphone, work ID and cash.
“This theft, perpetrated in the midst of such a selfless good deed, seems so very disgusting and outrageous,” said Police Chief Thomas Bryan, in a statement.
The police union President Michael Schwarz thanked Vannavalli for his heroic act and rewarded him with a check of $1000 on Monday, to compensate for his loss.
“Here’s a guy who risked his own life with two kids at home to only have his things stolen,” said Schwarz, nj.com reported. “We just wanted him to know his heroic gesture didn’t go unnoticed.”
Recherla said that she is grateful to Vannavalli for saving her life, and that the injuries could have been worse. She said that she fainted onto the tracks as she had skipped her food that morning, in the rush to leave for work.