BART passengers rally to stop train from hitting man on tracks

A man was saved by bystanders at the Civic Center Bart station in San Francisco, Calif. Wednesday, officials said. A man was saved by bystanders at the Civic Center Bart station in San Francisco, Calif. Wednesday, officials said. Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close BART passengers rally to stop train from hitting man on tracks 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A man in crisis at the Civic Center BART Station was rescued by fellow riders who worked together to stop a train headed his way after he lay down on the tracks Monday, according to the transit agency.

The man descended onto the tracks from one of the platforms about 4:43 p.m., BART officials said in a statement.

A witness who posted a video of the rescue to Reddit said it appeared the man fainted and fell, but surveillance video and other bystanders indicated that the man was in crisis and entered the tracks deliberately, according to Alicia Trost, a BART spokeswoman.

"He was standing there on the track for quite some time and then lay down," said Trost, adding that the agency was choosing to withhold video angles that show the man more clearly to protect his identity.

The man on the tracks was greeted by panicked yelling from passengers on the platform, another angle of video taken by a witness shows.

"Don't touch the third rail!" "Get away from the third rail!" onlookers can be heard yelling in the witness video, as at least four men jumped down onto the tracks to help him. A train can be heard rumbling in the distance as the man clambers back onto the platform.

Bystanders on the platform sprang into action, with some running for help and others frantically waving their arms to get the attention of the operator of the approaching train, BART surveillance footage shows.

"Surveillance footage show a sea of arms in the air along the entire length of the platform and riders coming together during a moment of crisis," the statement said.

With one car pulled into the station, the operator pulled the emergency stop button, bringing the train to a standstill only a short distance from the man, according to BART. Power to the area was cut and police responded to the scene minutes later, detaining the man and offering him support services, BART reported.

Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and visit her on Twitter.