Teens described as 'angels' after jumping onto tracks to save man with seconds to spare

Two teenagers are being dubbed “the angels” after jumping onto train tracks to save a man in distress seconds before a train arrived.

Freddie Corbett, 15, and Harley Hollingworth, 16, spotted the man in a sleeping bag on the quayside in Bolton upon Dearne at South Yorkshire Saturday evening.

They were waiting for the last train home, as Freddie's 11pm curfew approached, when the man jumped onto the tracks. The boys heard him say he was going to kill himself.

“Freddie said, 'You're not doing that, mate', and without even thinking he jumped onto the tracks as a train was coming,” his mother Jill Corbett told Sky News.

“Between them, they managed to get this guy off the track and corner him until someone else came to help them.”

Two young girls were also on the platform and called the police. The driver of the oncoming train then reversed and told the boys that help was on the way.

“In the meantime, Freddie and Harley had talked to this gentleman and had a heart-to-heart to find out what was going on in his life.”

After the man was taken into police custody, Network Rail employee Gary Robinson drove the teenagers home.

“Imagine my surprise. I was wondering where Freddie had been all night, not answering the phone, when I opened the door to someone wearing a bright orange jumpsuit,” Ms Corbett said.

“We are extremely proud,” she added.

Freddie received a “telling off from his grandmother” for jumping under a train, but told his mother he “would do it again if he was faced with the same situation tomorrow”.

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“I wasn't afraid of the train,” Harley told the Daily Mirror“I just wanted to make sure Freddie got him off the tracks. You could see the headlights of the train coming and it wasn't a very long turn.”

Network Rail employee Gary Robinson posted about the incident on social media.

“I called a man tonight with the intention of self-harming on the railway tracks,” he wrote.

“Those two guys were his angels! They dragged him off the tracks… They sat with him and talked until I got there and, make no mistake, they saved his life!”

“It didn't surprise me,” said Mrs Corbett, Freddie's mother.

“He's an extremely caring boy. He's one of the guys, but at the same time, he's the first one to be there if one of his friends needs him.

“If any of us need him, if something has upset me, he's there. He's really special.”

“[It’s] “It's not every day you get to say your son is a hero,” Freddie's dad Billy posted on social media, while Harley's dad Dale said he was “as proud as a rooster.”

Hundreds of people congratulated the boys for their courage.

“This is amazing, two young men saving a life!” said one Facebook user.

“Good game [Harley’s mother] for bringing back a good boy. They are two little angels, said another.

Even though the teenagers' reaction was “heartbreaking” and they are very worried about the man they saved, their teenage habits remain strong.

“They both slept at our house last night and didn't get up until noon,” Ms Corbett said.

“They just don't realize what's going on. Anxiety is running high in the house, but Freddie and Harley are fast asleep!”

Anyone in emotional distress or suicidal thoughts can call the Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email [email protected] in the UK. In the US, call your local Samaritans branch or 1 (800) 273-TALK