NEW YORK (PIX11) -- It's a New York commuter's worst nightmare — being shoved onto or in front of a subway train.
While PIX11 News has reported on several of these horrific and violent acts underground, rarely do we see them happen in real time — until now.
“In that moment, I was a 10-year-old boy coming off the [Nostalgia] train, so my radar was down,” the victim said, visibly emotional.
In a split second, this 72-year-old father went from reliving his childhood on the Nostalgia Train to having his life flash before his eyes.
He captured the moment he was shoved onto the subway tracks Sunday in Herald Square while recording video on the platform.
"Help me!" the man is heard yelling in the footage as he struggles on the tracks.
“The Guardian Angels on the platform jumped down, got me out, and cared for me,” he recalled Tuesday night.
The Manhattan man, who didn’t want to show his face as the suspect had not been caught, shared his story from his hospital bed. Police have released photos of the suspect, but the victim said the attack was completely unprovoked.
“I was blindsided and crushed by an individual who was obviously mentally deranged,” he said.
Earlier this week, Mayor Eric Adams toured the subway system with homeless advocates to address public safety concerns.
“We want to be proactive, to take them off the streets before they carry out a random act of violence,” Adams said Monday, reacting to the attack.
The victim said he couldn’t move after the shove and has struggled with mobility since. He is scheduled to undergo spinal surgery on Wednesday to insert screws to stabilize his vertebrae.
“I can’t really move. I can’t really walk. I sat up today for the first time,” he said.
Despite his injuries, doctors expect him to make a full recovery.
While the retired stagehand had to cancel his Christmas trip to Europe, he remains optimistic about the future — and about New York City.
“I love New York, and this isn’t going to change my feelings about the city,” he said as tears filled his eyes.
