A heroic Sheriff’s Deputy has received recognition for rescuing a child from the path of an approaching train in California.
A San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputy, Michael Castaneda, found himself in a tense situation while parked at a railroad crossing in Redlands. As he sat in his SUV, a train approached the vehicle positioned on the tracks.
While off duty, Castaneda observed a woman leaving the car after trying to navigate out of the gravel and retrieve a child from inside the vehicle.
Subsequently, the ex-Marine observed the woman set the child down as she moved to retrieve another one. That’s when he took decisive action.
“As soon as she put that child down, I heard the horn and to me, that was the start of a race,” Castaneda recalled, per KCAL. “I started running to get that kid out of there.”
Footage recorded by @morenovalleymatters2024 and distributed by the sheriff’s department depicted Castaneda rushing towards the vehicle, seizing the child, and narrowly avoiding the train’s trajectory.
A mother managed to flee with her other child to the far side of the tracks.
Castaneda has been recognized with the Meritorious Valor Award “for his heroic act,” as stated by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
The agency praised Castaneda’s actions as a remarkable demonstration of bravery and commitment to our community.
“I think it was just the perfect timing for me to be somewhere,” Castenada said, according to KCBS-TV.