A MAN risked his life to save a blind woman who fell onto the railway track at Christchurch Station yesterday morning.

Passengers waiting for the 10.30am train from Christchurch to London Waterloo saw the 55-year-old woman fall onto the railway line on the opposite side of the station.

One eyewitness said the woman, who had a guide dog, appeared to miss her step and fall, leaving the dog on the platform.

While others ran across the footbridge to help, local man Mohammed Enayet Hossein stepped across the live rails on the track to rescue her.

“I acted as quickly as I could,” he said.

“There was only two minutes until the train on my side of the platform was due to arrive, so I jumped onto the line to get across to the lady.

“Another person went over the railway bridge to get to the other side. I was worried about touching the live rail, but I thought if I was careful, I could avoid it.”

The 36-year-old, who is a waiter at Masala Bay in Christchurch, lifted the woman to safety with the help of others on the platform.

The ambulance arrived shortly after. She was checked over but was fortunately uninjured and taken home by paramedics.

Eyewitness Barbara Dryhurst, from Southbourne, said people were “watching in horror” as the daring rescue took place.

“She was alone on her platform towards Poole, but there was a crowd on my side waiting for the train. When she fell onto the rails, people called 999 straight away.

“I saw her lying across the track on her back. Her guide dog was on the platform looking down at her. There was no one to immediately help but, suddenly, a man just darted across the track, dodging the live rails. He moved so fast, he didn’t seem to think about the danger.”

Mr Hossein added: “The lady was crying and thanking me lots and so was everyone else. When I saw what happened, I felt it was my responsibility to help out. I saved her life as if it were my sister.”

A South West Trains spokesperson confirmed the incident, adding: “A lady looked to have lost her bearings whilst on the platform and slipped down onto the track. She was helped up immediately by other passengers on the platform, and our member of station staff who was in the booking office at the time helped with arranging for her to go to hospital to be checked over.”