A blind New York City man credited his guide dog for saving his life Tuesday. The man, Cecil Williams fell onto the subway tracks after fainting while waiting for his train. Williams is now saying he is going to be forced to give up the guide dog, Orlando, because the canine is nearing retirement and will no longer be covered by insurance.
Orlando, a black lab, will be 11 on Jan. 5, and will be retiring soon. Williams medical benefits will cover a new guide dog but won't pay the retired black lab so Orlando is in need of a new good home.
"If he had the money, I would definitely keep him," said Williams according to Fox News.
Williams was at the 145th Street station in New York City at around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday when he began to feel faint. Williams tumbled over the platform edge and onto the tracks despite efforts from Orlando to keep him on the platform.
"He went down, and the dog jumped down," witness Matthew Martin told the New York Post. "[The dog] wasn’t pulled. He was kissing him, trying to get him to move."
A construction flagger told Williams to stay in a trough in the middle of the tracks. Less than a minute later, an uptown A train pulled into the station slamming on its brakes but still at least one car of the train passed over Williams and Orlando.
Transit officials pulled the black lab from the tracks before extracting Williams with the help of a backboard and neck brace. "The dog saved my life," Williams said from St. Luke's Hospital."I’m feeling amazed. I feel that God, the powers that be, having something in store from me. They didn’t take me away this time. I’m here for a reason."
Williams developed meningitis in 1995 which caused him to become blind. Williams in unsure of why he fainted, but noted he does take insulin and other medications.