'I want to find the stranger who pulled me off the train tracks'
Mr Burke had been working in Cheltenham last month and said he had "no indication" something was going to happen.On the busy platform at the railway station, he stood just behind the yellow line, eager to get a seat."I felt just marginally dizzy and then blacked out."I woke up on the tracks once I impacted the floor with head on one track and feet on the other."What I didn't realise was a young lad jumped off the other platform and came over and helped me up," he said.
By the time Mr Burke was back on the platform, the train had stopped in front of him, meaning he missed being hit "by seconds", he said.Following the incident, Mr Burke spent three days on a cardiac ward at the The Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust in Guildford and now has a loop monitor under his skin.He has been told he must not drive for six months because of the unexplained blackout, meaning trains are now his main mode of transport."I'm certainly not going to stand next to the platform edge ever again," he said.
'Blacked out'
Mr Burke believes his rescuer must live in Cheltenham or Birmingham, as the latter was the next and final stop on the train he boarded."I might not have died but I certainly would have had my feet amputated, which is quite a horrific thought," he said.A spokesperson for GWR said: "We're pleased to hear that the customer wasn't more seriously hurt in this incident, and we commend our station staff for their swift response."While accidents can happen, the railway presents significant risks. "For everyone's safety, passengers should never enter the track. "Instead, please immediately contact a member of staff who can safely stop all trains and assist you."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
How eight second clip restored voice stolen by motor neurone disease
After 25 years a woman with motor neurone disease (MND) is able to speak in her own voice again thanks to an artificial intelligence programme and eight seconds of old audio. Sarah Ezekiel was left without the use of her voice and hands at the age of 34 having been diagnosed with MND shortly after the birth of her second child. Five years later, the advent of eye-gaze technology meant she could form words and sentences that would be 'spoken' by a computer. But growing up, her children Aviva and Eric only heard their mother speak through a robotic-sounding artificial voice. Voice-cloning technology and artificial intelligence that can fill in gaps in audio content mean that now, even her Cockney accent has been restored. 'After such a long time, I couldn't really remember my voice,' Ezekiel told BBC Access All. 'When I first heard it again, I felt like crying. It's a kind of miracle.'
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
UK's food labelling needs a complete overhaul to combat obesity crisis, health coach claims
PCI-QUALIFIED health coach Steve Bennett is calling on British policymakers to adopt bold, front-of-pack food warning labels as part of a national strategy to tackle obesity, affecting approximately 15 million adults in the UK. He praised the black warning labels on ultra-processed foods in Chilean supermarkets, which has led to a measurable decline in sales of these marked products. 4 4 Steve, founder of a health app called Clubwell, said: 'Our food labelling system does little to deter Brits away from unhealthy options. 'Although well-intentioned, the current traffic light system fails to clearly inform consumers of the health risks associated with ultra-processed foods. 'The system is based on manufacturer-designed portion sizes which are so unrealistic they border on fantasy. When did you last eat just half a biscuit or a single square of chocolate? 'Chile's approach is simple and effective. The introduction of stark black warning labels on foods high in sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat has reduced sales of harmful foods, improved public awareness, and contributed towards a drop in childhood obesity. 'I would expect a similar model in Britain to reflect these results.' Since Chile's policy was introduced, purchases of sugary foods were reportedly cut by as much as 25 per cent. Sales of ultra-processed foods with the labels in school kiosks dropped from 90 per cent to 15 per cent within six months of the law's introduction. Britain currently leads Europe in ultra-processed food consumption, with these products making up over 50 per cent of all food purchases. Steve added: ' Obesity not only increases the risk of heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes and several other diseases, but it also places huge pressure on the NHS and the UK economy. 'Changing our food labelling system and limiting sales of UPFs is a vital step towards tackling this spiralling obesity crisis. 'Addressing the root of the issue is far more effective in the long-term. We shouldn't simply be relying on weight loss jabs to solve the obesity epidemic. 'Transparent labelling would empower consumers to make informed choices and reduce dependence on pharmaceutical solutions. 'The food industry has resisted change, but the evidence is clear, bold labels work. 'I urge the UK government to implement clear warning labels, restrictions on marketing to children and removal of junk food from schools.' Steve, who has created £100 million companies during his award-winning commercial career before becoming a respected health coach, is launching the FREE Clubwell app later in the year to encourage users to keep track of their metabolic health to prevent future health issues related to insulin resistance. 4 4
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Excessive sleepiness: are you always tired? Doctors may finally have a cure
Name: Excessive daytime sleepiness. Age: First described in 1976. Appearance: You, asleep in the clothes you went to work in. Surely it's natural to feel a bit sleepy during the day? Yes, but that isn't what this is. The important part of the equation is the 'excessive'. If you're always falling asleep outside bedtime hours, that's a problem. Oh, you really do mean excessive. Yes. And it's a condition recognised by the NHS, with the medical name hypersomnia. Narcolepsy? No, narcolepsy is a neurological condition that causes people to suddenly fall into deep sleeps. Hypersomnia is where you're so tired that you keep drifting off. Now I'm worried that I may have it. Well, answer me this: do you eat a lot of cheese, gherkins and smoked meat? Now you mention it, I do maintain a primarily charcuterie-based diet. Well, that might be your problem. Researchers from Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston have claimed that hypersomnia may have a lot to do with our metabolism. Worrying. Not really. The researchers say that the metabolite tyramine is a factor. Tyramine is found in overripe food, aged cheese, smoked meat and some alcoholic drinks. Wow, medieval kings must have been absolutely knackered all the time. It's suggested that if people feel constantly sleepy, they should ditch these foods and adopt a diet of seeds, nuts and vegetable oils. And the result is that you'll have more hours in the day to eat all this boring food? Exactly. Don't dismiss hypersomnia, though. There is a test you can take, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, to discover if your napping is a problem or not. I just scored really highly on it. The NHS recommends that you should see your GP if you fall asleep during the day too often. Why bother? I'll just lay off the gouda and everything will be dandy. Out of interest, do you snore a lot? How rude! Maybe. If you do, you may have sleep apnoea, and your daytime sleepiness could be down to your inability to reach a point of deep, restorative sleep at night. Also, are you depressed? Isn't everyone? That's another potential cause of hypersomnia. What if I'm depressed because someone from Boston just told me that I can't eat so much antipasti? Oh dear, that means you're trapped in a rare but dangerous hypersomnia loop. Maybe just give in to it. Nothing wrong with an impromptu nap, is there? I'm a commercial airline pilot. Forget everything I just said. Eat these seeds immediately. Do say: 'Smoked meat causes excessive daytime sleepiness.' Don't say: 'And also cures it, if you use a Peperami to prop your eyelids open.'
