A father has been hailed a hero after he died alongside his two-year-old daughter when a twin stroller rolled off a railway platform in Sydney’s south on Sunday.
Police said the man jumped down to try to save his twin daughters who were in the pram that rolled into the path of an oncoming train at Carlton station shortly before 12.30pm.
Police arrived at the station within minutes, heard crying from under the train and were able to save one of the two girls. Her sister and father died.
The girls’ 39-year-old mother watched on from the platform and was not physically harmed. She and her surviving daughter were taken to St George hospital for assessment.
The state premier, Chris Minns, who lives just 100 metres from the train station and is the area’s local member, paid tribute to the father on Sunday afternoon.
“He gave his own life to try and save his children,” Minns said.
“It’s a very confronting and sad day for the St George community and for that family from the Kogarah area.”
NSW police superintendent Paul Dunstan also praised the father’s efforts.
“He’s just gone into parent mode and tried to save his two young daughters,” he said.
“In doing so, it’s cost him his life. But it was an incredibly brave and heroic act.”
He said one of the toddlers was largely untouched and survived because of good luck after being found by responding officers between the tracks.
Her mother, who was part of the local Indian community, was “very traumatised”.
“She’s being well supported by her friends and family but she’s clearly in a state of shock and struggling with what’s happened today,” Dunstan said.
Minns said he was open to any safety improvements if investigations found they were needed.
Police established a crime scene at the station and were treating the incident as an accident.
The train was on its way from Cronulla to Bondi Junction and was not due to stop at the station when the incident occurred.
The speed at which it approached the station and how the pram ended up on the tracks would be part of the investigation.
Sydney Trains chief executive, Matt Longland, said two of the city’s “more experienced crew” were driving the train.
“It was approaching the station with caution. That’s how our drivers are instructed to drive in order that they can make sure that there’s no incidents on the platform,” he said.
“These sorts of incidents are incredibly rare, but clearly the outcomes are absolutely tragic.”
Support was being offered to those drivers, as well as responding personnel and members of the public who witnessed the horrifying accident.
Emergency services urged members of the public to avoid the scene.
Replacement buses were organised for commuters on Sunday afternoon after trains were stopped in both directions between Wolli Creek and Hurstville.
“Passengers are advised to delay their trips or allow plenty of extra travel time,” a Sydney Trains spokesperson said.
“Passengers are also advised to listen to announcements and check information displays for service updates.”
