This is Sussex --A FEARLESS hero risked his own life by rushing down to railway tracks to help a teenage girl who he was worried was about to commit suicide.
Joe Kosi dashed onto the line near the Horsham Road level crossing in Southgate after seeing the girl, who was standing at the side of the tracks, almost get hit by a train.
As the 26-year-old made his way down an embankment the teenager walked onto the tracks.
Putting his own wellbeing to one side, Joe, from Swallow Road, Langley Green, calmly talked to the girl and persuaded her to walk with him to safety.
He said: "A friend of mine committed suicide in a similar way, and when I saw this young girl I couldn't just watch another life disappear and go to waste. I just knew I had to go help her.
"I was walking past the level crossing when I saw the girl walking towards the tracks.
"A train nearly hit her and I instantly thought she wanted to take her own life. I didn't think about myself then, I just went down there to help.
"Police officers arrived and they were shouting at her but she wasn't listening and I could tell she needed to speak to someone.
"Shouting at her wasn't the way to handle it.
"It looked like she was moving her hands towards the rails and electrics so I got to her as quickly as I could.
"As I stood next to her she was standing on the tracks so I got closer to her, held her hands and talked to her.
"She seemed scared so I just spoke to her, to do my best to make her feel comfortable.
"The police started shouting that they had shut down the electrics and I told her everything was going to be OK."
Joe, who has lived in Crawley for seven years, then calmly ushered her off the train line.
The girl was then taken away by police, along with an older girl who had been nearby.
Jessie Paton witnessed the incident, which took place at about 6.45pm on Bank Holiday Monday, as she walked over the Goffs Lane bridge on her way home from Crawley Carnival in Goffs Park.
The 59-year-old, from Bramber Close, in Northgate, said: "There were lots of people on the bridge looking down to the railway below and shouting which caught my attention.
"There was a girl standing on the tracks and a man making his way to save her. We could all see that he was talking directly to her.
"We went up to him at the end to find out his name and started calling him 'Hero Joe'.
"He seemed to be in shock from what had happened and didn't even realise he could have been maimed himself.
"Joe was very modest about the whole thing. He should be commended for his bravery."
Despite Joe and Jessie being convinced the incident was a potential suicide attempt, a British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman said it is not being investigated as one.
He said: "Two girls, a 17-year-old and a 14-year-old, both from Horley, have since been reported for trespass."
Being "reported" for the alleged offence means a file on the incident is being put together so a decision can be made on whether they will be charged. Reported by This is 1 day ago.