Positivity: 10 Year-old Saves Live of Sister’s Baby

10 year-old Alex Maratea is being recognized for her heroic rescue of her sister’s 4 month-old daughter in February:

U.D. girl pulls her nephew from path of speeding train
LINDA REILLY , Times Correspondent
07/08/2006

UPPER DARBY, PA — A Stonehurst Hills Elementary School fourth-grader, who saved the life of her nephew who fell onto SEPTA’s train tracks, received accolades for her heroism and quick reaction. Alexandra Maratea, 10, received the Liberty Bell Heroism Award from Mayor John Street at a Philadelphia City Council session recently.
Representatives of the Philadelphia Fire Department and Gov. Ed Rendell also honored Alex and presented her with commendations of heroism.

Both Alex and her sister, Nikki Maratea, 20, have vivid memories of the mid-February incident at SEPTA’s 63rd Street station of the Market-Frankford Elevated line in Philadelphia, when Nikki’s son, Derrian Maratea, then 4 months, fell onto the train tracks while strapped into his stroller.

The trio had walked to 63rd Street to catch the El train headed for the 69th Street Terminal and climbed the steps of the station.

“It was really cold out and really windy,” Nikki said. “I pushed the stroller behind the post to block off the wind,” explaining she went through the gate and was called back by the ticket agent to settle the fare. “I turned and said ‘wait till I get my son situated.’

“In the time it took to take my hand off the stroller, the stroller was gone. The stroller had fallen onto the tracks. The baby was strapped in and face down on the tracks. I’m freakin’ out,” noting she jumped down to get him, but her clothing got caught on some pipes.

“I was trying to get help. I was screaming. I saw a guy walk away to flag down the train to get it to stop. That’s when Alex came from behind me and jumped down and lifted up the stroller,” onto the platform, Nikki said. An unidentified commuter then assisted Alex off the tracks, lifting her up onto the platform out of harm’s way.

Alex told the same story, recalling her sister turning and asking, “where’s the baby?”

“I heard him crying and he was laying down there face down,” Alex said. “I was a little scared. At first I thought it was my fault because I wasn’t looking. My sister got stuck on the pipes, so I jumped down and got the baby up. Then a man jumped down to help me up. I still have the rip in my jacket.

“The baby was crying and I was crying because I thought he was hurt. I couldn’t get up on the platform and the train was coming. We could hear it and we could see it coming. It was less than a block away. I was scared.”

The pre-teen heroine learned later they were inches away from the deadly third rail, which in a train system is the exposed electrical conductor that carries high-voltage power. Stepping on the high-voltage third rail results in electrocution, in many cases leading to death.

Baby Derrian suffered a broken arm and scratches that have since healed.