Trainspotter and son, nine, save man’s life at station

[John Ashworth]

Trainspotter and son, nine, save man’s life at Taunton station

A paramedic who was spending his day off trainspotting with his nine-year-old son saved the life of a young man who lay down in front of a train moments before its departure. Andy Nickolls, 57, and his son Jacob were the only ones who saw the man jumping from the platform at Taunton station in Somerset and lying on the rails. Seeing that the signal had turned to green and the train was about to move, the pair waved their hands frantically and shouted to attract the attention of the driver. Eventually realising what was happening, the driver applied his emergency brakes and station staff talked the man off the tracks.

Nickolls said his son, who is obsessed with railways and has his own YouTube channel devoted to trainspotting, called Jacob’s Train Adventures, appeared to have taken the incident in his stride...