Quick-thinking worker saves elderly subway passengers from danger

A video recently went viral showing a subway staff member in Wuhan, Hubei province, sprinting to save two elderly passengers from danger as they lost their balance on a moving escalator, CCTV News reported.

This scene took place at around 7:55 am on Wednesday in a subway station of Line 6 in the city. In the video, an old woman can be seen walking up the escalator but losing balance as she accidentally stepped on the place between two stairs and fell backward on an elderly man behind her.

While the two fell on the side panel of the escalator, Tian Xiaoyuan, a staff member who was on duty outside the gate machine, about 30 meters away from the escalator, swiped the card swiftly through the machine, dashed up the escalator, and helped the elderly woman stand up until the two held onto the handrail steadily. The whole process took only seven seconds.

"I never thought I could run so fast. I think it's because of instinct," Tian said later.

Since Line 6 opened in 2016, Tian has been working at the station and has received over 70 letters expressing thanks for her help. In April, a passenger sent her a silk banner to thank her for helping find a lost suitcase.

To help more passengers, Tian also opened a short video account, posting her daily work and information about taking the subway. It is encouraging passengers to behave in a civilized manner during their rides.

She said one of her most rewarding moments was when a young woman found her boyfriend's lost identity card 10 days later after she came across a video Tian posted online, which she didn't expect.