A blind Harlem man survived almost certain death after falling on the subway tracks Tuesday morning thanks to his guide dog, Orlando. Pececil Williams, 60, was waiting on the platform at 125th Street station when he got too close to the edge.
Onlooker Ana Quinones told the New York Post that the black lab, Orlando, did everything it could to move the man from the perilous ledge. She said, “The dog was trying to pull him away from the southbound edge of the platform, but his feet were on the edge, he was wobbling, and the dog was barking.”
Williams still ended up falling, leading Orlando to jump down onto the tracks with him. The dog began to lick Williams’ face to get him to move, but the train came about 15 seconds after the fall and was unable to stop.
Williams and Orlando managed to lie in the deepest part of the tracks and were partially struck by part of the train, but neither were seriously injured. Orlando will hopefully be awarded some sort of dog medal of service.