Edward A. Odom, 27, power operator, rescued Bruce J. Parthe, 16, schoolboy, from electric shock, Brooklyn, New York, March 16, 1956. When he slipped while walking along a snow-covered footwalk of an elevated railroad 30 feet above the street, Bruce fell and lost consciousness when his hand made contact with the electrified third rail of one of the tracks. On the street below, Odom was attracted and ran 500 feet to the mezzanine section of the elevated’s nearest exit. To save time he climbed a steel support just outside a window of the exit-way to the top of the elevated structure. He walked along a snow-covered beam two feet wide, crossing another track and its charged rail, and climbing over a guardrail four feet high. After failing to stop a train which then passed close to Bruce, Odom called to a station guard 70 feet away to have the power shut off. Proceeding along the beam over an open area between the tracks, he climbed another guardrail and then followed the slippery footwalk to Bruce. Although his hands were damp and unprotected and his clothes were wet from the falling snow, Odom grasped the wet sleeve of Bruce’s jacket six inches from the charged rail and jerked the boy’s hand free. When Bruce then revived slightly and began to struggle, swinging his arms and legs, Odom held him against the footwalk for 10 minutes. The power was shut off in the rail several minutes after Odom freed Bruce. Firemen arrived and carried Bruce to the station, where he was revived further. Bruce was hospitalized for three days and recovered in two months, sustaining permanent scars. Odom suffered no ill effects. 43849-4099
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