Video: Heroic guard saves man from oncoming train in Egypt

Dubai: A railway crossing guard in southern Egypt has been hailed as a hero after a surveillance camera captured the moment he pulled a young man from train tracks just seconds before a speeding locomotive roared past.

The incident occurred at the Sadat Bridge crossing in Beni Suef, where the guard, Tarek Mohamed, known locally as “Uncle Tarek”, was on duty as usual, blowing his whistle to warn pedestrians of an approaching train. Despite repeated warnings, a young man attempted to cross the tracks.

In the video, Tarek is seen sprinting toward the youth, grabbing him forcefully, and yanking him away from the rails at the very last moment. Onlookers watching the near-disaster could be heard shouting prayers of relief as the train thundered through.

“I kept blowing the whistle, but he just kept walking as if challenging death,” Tarek told local newspaper Youm7. “In that second, I felt it was life or death. I didn’t think about myself, my body just moved, and I pulled him away.”

The Ministry of Transport has repeatedly urged citizens not to cross railway lines illegally, warning of the dangers of ignoring barriers and alarms. The Ministry said such negligence is a leading cause of fatal accidents on Egypt’s rail network. 

. “People may think this job is simple, but it’s really about protecting lives,” Tarek said. “What I did wasn’t heroism. It was my responsibility, to make sure no life is lost on the tracks.”