NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – There was a Christmas day scare on the subway when a man was shoved onto the tracks in Harlem.

It took the goodwill of strangers to act fast and save his life. Those strangers risked their own lives by jumping onto the tracks to pull the man to safety.

It happened around 11:30 a.m. at the 125th Street station on Malcolm X Boulevard.

Commuters were waiting on the 2 and 3-train platform when they saw something terrifying. Kirk Abbott was waiting for the subway to go to his job as a bus driver.

“I’m standing right over here and I see the guy fall onto the tracks,” Abbott said.

See Rescue In Progress

When he got closer, he realized the victim had been pushed. The 55-year-old was bleeding badly and was inches away from the third rail.

Abbott and three other good Samaritans jumped into action.

“I had them get down on the tracks. I ran to the edge of the platform so I could wave the train down with my flashlight and have the train slow down,” Abbott said.

The train did stop in time and those four good Samaritans got the man off the tracks and up onto the platform.

“He was in and out of consciousness. He still didn’t know what happened to him,” Abbott added.

Police say the victim had cuts on his head from being pushed onto the tracks. Other witnesses cornered the attacker until police arrived at the scene.

The NYPD arrested 54-year-old Jose Gomez and charged him with assault.

CBS2’s Nick Caloway reports the incident left one witness shaken up.

“I couldn’t believe it. I’m still out of breath. I’m still sweating,” the witness said.

After the rescue Abbott finally caught his train to work – understandably a little late.

Investigators have not revealed if they have determined the reason for Gomez’s attack.