VIDEO: Brave MTA employees rescue 3-year-old with autism from train tracks 

A crew of brave Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) employees rescued a 3-year-old boy with autism from the Metro-North train tracks, a video released by the agency on Tuesday shows. 

On April 6, locomotive engineer William Kennedy was conducting the train right outside Tarrytown, New York when he "noticed an object and soon realized a young child was on the northbound track, so he sent out an emergency radio communication to all nearby train crews." 

"What is that, a kid?" another train crew member can be heard saying in the video. 

The footage shows the train coming to a complete stop after spotting the kid, who was near an electrified third rail. Assistant conductor Marcus Higgins jumps down from the train and headed towards the child, who was 40 yards away along the tracks. The video shows him picking the boy up and bringing him onboard the train. 

"At the same time, Signal Maintainers Max Chong and Christopher Fraina were heading to the area to help and came upon the child’s mother and sister who were observed sobbing on a street corner, they explained the three-year-old was missing," the MTA said in a statement. 

"When a Sleepy Hollow police officer pulled up and mentioned a missing child report, the group realized they were all looking for the same child. Meanwhile, the Metro-North signal maintainers heard a report on their radios of a found child at Tarrytown station," the statement continued. 

The crew took the boy to Tarrytown, where his mother was waiting along with police officers. The video shows the mother sobbing as the two are reunited and embrace. 

The MTA awarded commendations to the five employees involved in the incident for their actions. 

"These fine team members embodied the qualities we want our employees to exhibit while on duty, alert, responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful," Metro-North Railroad President and Interim LIRR President Catherine Rinaldi said.  

"With the bravery and calm comportment of superheroes, they averted a horrific outcome and saw to it that this little boy was not going to become a statistic," she added. "We salute their efforts and compassion, and heartily thank them for their dedication to the people we serve."