Jody Balbi can’t bear to think what might have happened if two strangers had not leapt to the rescue when her daughter fell onto the tracks at Thirroul station.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Caringbah woman’s adult daughter Kelly, who has a profound intellectual disability, was on an outing to Thirroul earlier this month when her carer became distracted just before they were due to board a train back to Sydney.
With the 12.46pm train on its way to the station, Kelly’s wheelchair rolled off the platform and into its path.
"The stationmaster did whatever the procedure was to stop the trains, but the train was still coming and it was only about 20 seconds before it got there, I was told," said Ms Balbi, who was not with her daughter during the incident.
"While that was happening, these two men jumped down from the other side of the platform and crossed over part of the tracks to get to where she was and lifted her up, then lifted the wheelchair up and then got themselves up."
Kelly, 37, was injured in the fall and an ambulance was called, by which time the two men had disappeared, Ms Balbi said.
"They went and got on their train and that was it," she said.
Ms Balbi is now calling for anyone who knows the men, who were on the southbound Thirroul station platform about 12.50pm on September 4, to contact the Mercury so she can say thank you for their brave act.
"There were two beautiful angels who risked their own lives to go and save my daughter. I want to see if anyone knows of these people - our station angels - and hopefully, meet them to say thank you."
She is also grateful for the actions of the Thirroul station staff and the ambulance officers, who treated Kelly for facial abrasions and took her to Wollongong Hospital.