Moment man pushes father, 25, from behind onto tracks of Manhattan subway station in unprovoked attack

Police in New York City are searching for a man who shoved a father onto the tracks of a Manhattan subway station in an unprovoked early morning attack late last month.

Rafael Mejias said he was minding his own business, listening to music through his headphones on the platform of the Columbus Circle stop on September 24, at around 5:35am, when he felt himself being pushed from behind.

The 25-year-old had been walking towards a trash can to toss out some garbage when a male assailant walked up behind him and pushed him in the back with two hands, causing him to fall hard onto the tracks below.

‘This gentleman — I don’t even know who he is — I see him from the corner of my eyes,’ Mejias told CBSNY. ‘When I went to go throw something in the garbage, he came from behind and pushed me.’

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The 25-year-old had been walking towards a trash can to toss out some garbage when a male assailant walked up behind him and pushed him with two hands, causing him to fall hard onto the tracks below

Rafael Mejias said he was minding his own business when the attack occurred. He's pictured above with his six-year-old daughter

Mejias hit the tracks so hard he hurt his ribs, his legs and even suffered a laceration to his liver.

The father-of-one said he went immediately into survival mode, thinking of his young daughter at home as hey lay on the ground.

‘It was scary, because I thought I was going to lose my life and to not be there for my 6-year-old daughter,’ he said. ‘For my 6-year-old daughter to know her father is gone — I didn’t want that to happen.’

While he was eventually able to stand, Mejias was too badly injured to pull himself back onto the platform.

Thankfully, four straphangers who witnessed the incident raced to his aid and hauled him back to safety.

‘If those four gentlemen hadn’t picked me up off the tracks, I wouldn’t have been able to get up,’ Mejias told the NY Daily News. ‘When I got up on the platform, the train came into the station.’

Mejias says he feels very lucky to be alive. He spent a few days recovering in the hospital before being discharged.

The incident happened at around 5:35am on September 24, and police are now appealing to the public for help

His attacker, meanwhile, fled the scene. Mejias, of the Bronx, says he hopes police are able to track the man down and lock him up

The suspect (seen left) is described as a bald black male, who is around six-feet-tall, 210 pounds and was last seen wearing a grey tracksuit. Mejias says he feels very lucky to be alive. He spent a few days recovering in the hospital before being discharged.

His attacker, meanwhile, fled the scene. Mejias, of the Bronx, says he hopes police are able to track the man down and lock him up before he can strike again.

‘Nobody deserves to be pushed on the subway tracks,’ he said. ‘I want him off the street because if it can happen to me it can happen to anyone.

‘Every time I close my eyes I keep seeing myself falling and seeing his face,’ he continued.

The suspect is described as a bald black male, who is around six-feet-tall, 210 pounds and was last seen wearing a grey tracksuit.

Police released video footage of the incident on Saturday and are now appealing to the public for their held in securing his arrest. 

‘For him to sit there and just push an innocent person without doing nothing to him, it could happen to me, it could happen to other people,’ Mejias told CBS.

Anyone with information on the incident or the identity of the suspect is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.