Merlin Harn saved a boy from being struck by a train, Menasha, Wisconsin, September 1, 2007. An unattended 3-year-old boy was observed walking on a railroad track by Harn, 40, facilities technician, and his wife as they drove by. They stopped at a crossing near the scene and called authorities. As they waited for police to arrive, the crossing’s lights, bell, and gates were activated, and the whistle of an approaching train sounded. Harn immediately exited his vehicle and, without looking back to the train, ran to the boy, having to cover the 90-foot distance on the ballast of the track bed. Meanwhile, when the 13,000-ton train, which was traveling at about 35 m.p.h., rounded a bend, its locomotive crew saw Harn running and then saw the boy. The engineer immediately engaged the train’s emergency brakes. In a continuous motion, Harn grasped the boy under the arms and lunged away from the track with him seconds before the front of the train passed them. Although the train had decelerated, it continued for about a quarter-mile past the scene before stopping.
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