Army vet pulls woman from tracks: 'You're not going to die today'

As a Chicago train was barreling toward them, Army veteran Brian Eckerman pulled a woman from the tracks in a daring rescue. He jumped to action when a he saw a woman he thought she had fallen, but it was a suicide attempt and she fought him as he labored to pull her to safety. Eckerman learned electrical currents in the U.S. Army reserves, and with a ballerina’s precision he danced with an unwilling partner over the first third rail. “So then I also had to go across the second one and I kind of had to man handle her cause there was no other choice so I kind of had to whip her,” said Eckerman. “I look up and see the train is rushing toward us.” But the train stopped. He credits his mom, a retired CPD officer, with the instillation of compassion. “I credit her with raising me right to always help somebody in need,” said Eckerman. He never made eye contact with the distressed woman who fought until the end, but they did exchange words. “’I just wanna die today I just wanna die’ and I said, ‘You’re gonna be okay, you’re gonna be okay. You’re not gonna die today.’” She did not die and Eckerman says gravely, "thank God it all worked out." VIDEO