Video shows moment hero NYPD detectives rescue woman in angel wings from subway tracks

They truly seemed heaven-sent.

Two NYPD detectives rescued a woman dressed as an angel after she fell onto the subway tracks at a Lower Manhattan station in the early hours after Halloween, according to video shared exclusively with The Post.

Detectives Brett Devine and Carmelo Stracuzzi were working an overtime shift at the Chambers Street station when the 24-year-old woman accidentally fell from the platform shortly after 1 a.m. on Nov. 1, police said.

“We heard someone yelling that somebody had fallen onto the subway tracks,” Devine, 36, recalled of the incident at the No. 1/2/3 station.

In the video, Devine can be heard asking his partner for a flashlight, believing it might help them warn any approaching train operators.

“At that point, we ran over and I observed a female lying unconscious on the railbed,” Devine said. “She was totally unconscious and I jumped down onto the tracks.”

Police said the woman had landed dangerously close to the electrified third rail.

Devine, who has four daughters ranging in age from 1 to 19, said he had not realized how high the platform was until he climbed down.

“I couldn’t believe how high the platform was because that’s the first time I’ve been down there,” Devine said. “It’s very deceiving.”

Still, he said, instinct quickly took over.

Devine, who joined the NYPD in 2012, checked the woman to determine whether she was conscious.

“I kind of gave her a shoulder tap to see if she would wake up, which she didn’t,” he said.

The detectives then heard an announcement that a train was approaching. They were unsure whether it referred to the downtown local No. 1 track, where the unconscious woman was lying, or to the express tracks on the opposite side of the platform.

“I remember seeing lights at the end of the tunnel,” said Stracuzzi, 42, who could not tell whether they were from an approaching train.

“I’m like, ‘Oh boy . . . we gotta kind of move a little quickly here,’” said Stracuzzi, who joined the department in 2011. “You kind of get tunnel vision.”

Both detectives immediately moved to get the woman out of danger.

“At that point, I went under the arms and Detective Stracuzzi grabbed the legs and we hoisted her onto the subway platform,” Devine said.

The unidentified woman was limp as the detectives lifted her to safety. They then had to climb out of the roughly 4-foot-deep track bed themselves.

Another officer waiting on the platform helped pull both detectives back up.

Two minutes later, a train rushed into the station — but it was traveling on the express track across the platform.

“We’re not sure if it was rerouted or not,” Stracuzzi said.

“That’s not an everyday occurrence for us, as far as having someone fall onto the subway tracks,” Devine said.

Devine said a good Samaritan helped the officers bring the woman up the station stairs. Because 911 was overwhelmed following Halloween celebrations, the detectives drove her to a hospital in their own vehicle.

Stracuzzi, who has two daughters, ages 4 and 7, said his older daughter would be thrilled to see footage of her father helping save an angel.

“I’m just thankful we were there to help her,” Stracuzzi said. “Who knows what could have happened if we weren’t there?”

The Detectives’ Endowment Association praised the two officers for their bravery.

“Detectives Stracuzzi and Devine’s heroic actions say everything about the men and women who carry the gold shield,” DEA President Scott Munro said. “They prove exactly why they’re called the greatest detectives in the world and this union is proud to represent them.”

A police source said it appeared all three people were being watched over that night.

“You see those wings on the track from the woman’s costume and can’t help wondering if an angel was looking out for all of them,” the source said.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

Experts Probe ‘Mothership’ Theory Behind Possible US Attack

A rare nationwide flight stoppage, a sweeping technology outage and two maritime…

Hakeem Jeffries Heckled During Speech at Democratic Convention

Protesters interrupted Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who is widely expected to become…

Moment Teen Who Stabbed Love Rival Begs Victim Not to Call Police

A teenager who murdered a 16-year-old rival in a dispute over a…

Travel Expert Reveals Why Boarding Your Flight Last Can Make Flying Less Stressful

With one of the busiest travel periods in the United States only…

Russell Brand’s Jail Joke Leaves Lindsay Lohan Uncomfortable

A resurfaced television clip appears to show Lindsay Lohan becoming increasingly uneasy…

US Flight Grounding: Urgent Warning for Australian Travelers

Australians travelling in the US have been caught up in widespread disruption…

NYPD Releases Bodycam Video of Fatal Police Shooting of Cleaver-Wielding Man

Harrowing body-camera footage shows the moment NYPD officers fatally shot a man…

Trump to Hold Historic Meeting in China With Xi and Putin

WASHINGTON — President Trump is set to meet with Chinese President Xi…

Hamas Bodyguard Gets Citizenship as Father Accused of Massacre Plot

A man suspected of links to Hamas allegedly helped plan an attack…

Spencer Pratt Says He Should Have Run as a Communist for LA Mayor

Spencer Pratt believes he has figured out why his campaign for Los…

Rapid-Fire Earthquakes Strike Nevada as Ground Rips Apart

Two earthquakes struck Nevada within seconds of one another on Friday in…

Father Accused of Burying Infant Son Alive for 24 Hours

A 25-year-old Southern California man accused of kidnapping his infant son and…