Due to the courageous actions of a group of railroad workers, a potential tragedy was averted when a non-verbal 3-year-old boy with autism wandered onto the tracks of Metro-North Railroad near Tarrytown, located north of New York City.

Around 3:15 p.m., locomotive Engineer William Kennedy, who was operating a southbound Hudson Line train, was the first to spot the child. In a video released by the MTA, Kennedy can be heard addressing the crew of an approaching northbound train, saying “There’s a little kid north of you guys.”

According to WABC, the child had wandered onto the railway tracks and was moving dangerously close to the electrified third rail. Kennedy, who is a father of four, was able to bring his train, traveling at a speed of 70mph, to a stop. “I have four kids, so as soon as I saw it was a child, instantly my ‘dad’ instinct kicked in and I thought, ‘We have to save this kid’,” he explained.

As the train traveling in the opposite direction approached, it proceeded slowly until the crew members were able to spot the child. Assistant conductor Marcus Higgins, who was on the train, saw the boy and attempted to signal him to move away. However, realizing the child’s young age, Higgins jumped down from the train, ran approximately forty yards ahead of it, and retrieved the boy from a cover on top of the third rail, ultimately carrying him to safety.

“When you see a child in a situation like this, your first instinct is to ensure their safety,” stated Higgins. “I’m grateful that our crew was there and able to assist.”

The mother of the child, who was overcome with tears of joy, explained that her son, Waylon, had gone missing. She was eventually reunited with him on the train.